



I 




HELPS 



TO 



OFFICIAL MEMBERS 



OF THE 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHIJECH, 



INDICATING 



THEIR POWERS, DUTIES, AND PRIVILEGES; 



AND 



SUGGESTING SUNDRY MISTAKES, METHODS, AND POSSIBILITIES 

WITH REGARD TO THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS 

OF SERVICE ; DESIGNED TO RENDER THEM 

MORE EFFICIENT AND USEFUL. 

• 
BY JAMES PORTER, D.D. 



». ^ » « __ 

NEW YORK: 
NELSON & PHILLIPS. 

CINCINNATI: 
HITCHCOCK & WALDEN. 



^ 






THE UftMltf 
Of C©*t§*iS$ 

WASHIS6T 




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by 

NELSON & PHILLIPS, 
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



INTRODUCTION. 



T^HOUGH Methodism originated un- 
der God by the agency of ministers, 
and has been thought by many to belong 
chiefly to them, its operations are largely 
controlled by laymen. This is true of all 
its denominational branches, and of the 
several departments involved in each. 
Nor is it any new arrangement ; it has 
been so from the beginning. As the ne- 
cessity for lay agency appeared, it was in- 
troduced, and charged with responsibili- 
ties and duties to meet the demand. 

In the Methodist Episcopal Church 
each local society is required to have 
three permanent classes of lay officers, 
Trustees, Stewards, and Class-Leaders. 
We do not mean to say that preach- 



4 Introduction. 

ers are never allowed to hold any of these 
offices, but simply that they are general- 
ly held by laymen. Besides, our Disci- 
pline provides for other lay officers, such 
as Sabbath-school Superintendents, etc., 
which constitute a*fourth class. 

These offices were devised for high 
and holy purposes. In many cases they 
are a grand success, in others a compara- 
tive failure. The following pages are 
designed to help all who have the honor 
of holding them, that they may be more 
useful. In writing them we have en- 
deavored to mark the points of danger, 
and indicate the methods of success. 

If we have said some simple things, 
and furnished some simple formulas and 
plans of operation, they will meet the 
wants of young and inexperienced offi- 
cers who have every thing to learn, as 
our old officials had forty years ago. 



Introduction. 5 

Our work is as new and strange in much 
of this world which we have undertaken 
to Christianize, as it was in the State of 
New York in the days of Asbury. All 
the foundations are to be laid, and the 
temporal and spiritual superstructure is 
to be reared. Besides, many of our more 
experienced officials are not beyond the 
need of instruction and advice. They 
may be going on to perfection, but they 
have hardly reached it. We are not 
wkhout hope that this little work may 
benefit them. 

Preachers get line upon line from the 
bishops and others as to their duties ; but 
our lay officials, especially those who are 
particularly concerned with finances, seem 
to be comparatively overlooked, and they 
fare little better in the matter of prayers. 
While leaders are often commended to 
the divine favor, trustees and stewards 



6 Introduction. 

are seldom mentioned. But this arises 
from the secular nature of their duties. 
Ministerial financiers suffer in a similar 
manner. Our object is to assist all these 
officers, that they may be more efficient, 
with less inconvenience and vexation. 

James Porter. 

Brooklyn, January i, 1877. 



C ONTEITS. 



CHAPTER I. 

OF TRUSTEES. 



Their Origin— The First American— Primary Objects of— Powers 
Limited— Responsibilities and Rights of— Property to be Secured in 
Perpetuity Page 9 

CHAPTER n. 

OF CHURCH BUILDING. 

Historical Facts— Increase of Property— Debts— Practical Suggestions 
—Building for Posterity— How not to Proceed 35 

CHAPTER III. 

OF ARCHITECTS. 

Plans and Specifications Indispensable— An Emergency Provided for 
—Danger of Attempting too Much— Errors with Regard to Location 
—Parsonages, Organs, etc.— Of Collections— Subscription Papers— Fre- 
quent Reports Necessary— Other Duties Involved. 40 

CHAPTER IV. 

OF STEWARDS. 

Their Duties and Qualifications— Their Treatment of Preachers and 
the Poor— Social and Spiritual Duties— Should be Heroic and Lib- 
eral 58 

CHAPTER V. 

METHODS OF MEETING CURRENT EXPENSES. 

Different Plans Stated— Their Adaptation to all Cases— A Possible 
Objection— Of Class Collections 77 



8 Contents, 

chapter VI. 

OF OLASS-LEADESS. 

Their Origin— Duties and Qualifications. Page 92 

CHAPTEK VII. 

HOW TO MAKE A CLASS-MEETING INTERESTING AND PROFITABLE. 

The First Condition of Success— Other Conditions Stated 108 

CHAPTER VIII. 

OF DUTIES DEVOLVING UPON OFFICIAL MEMBERS IN THEIR ASSOCIATE 

RELATIONS. 

Granting Licenses— Obtaining Pastors and Supplies— Salaries and 
Vacations— Managing Church Music— Of Organs— Benevolent Collec- 
tions—Amusements—Agreement 130 

CHAPTER IX. 

OF MISCELLANEOUS OFFICERS. 

Powers and Duties of Superintendents— Choristers and Organists- 
Chairmen of Committees, Presidents, etc.— Parliamentary Usages. 144 

CHAPTER X. 

OF TEMPERANCE, WITH INSTRUCTIONS RELATING TO MAKING WILLS. 

Form of Constitution and Pledge— Duty of Making a Will— Legal 
Points to be Considered— General Form of a Will 168 



HELPS 



TO 



OFFICIAL MEMBERS. 



+++■ 



I 



CHAPTER I. 

OF TRUSTEES. 

THEIR APPOINTMENT, POWERS, AND PRIVILEGES. 

N proceeding to erect his first house of relig- 
ious worship, Mr. Wesley appointed eleven 
feoffees to take the whole charge of the enter- 
prise, but soon found that he must raise all the 
money and do all the business, or nothing 
would be effected. But in attempting to beg 
the money, Mr. Whitefield and others refused 
to contribute, unless he would dismiss his feof- 
fees, and do every thing in his own name. 
" Many reasons," he says, " they gave for this ; 
but one was enough, namely : * That such feof- 
fees would always have it in their power to con- 
trol me, and, if I preached not as they liked, to 
turn me out of the room I had built/ " He, 
therefore, did as he was advised, but afterward 



io Helps to Official Members. 

arranged for the settlement of his growing So- 
ciety property on trustees, under such restric- 
tions as should hold it sacredly to the uses for 
which it was given. 

FIRST AMERICAN TRUSTEES. 

Twenty-nine years after, the first Methodist 
chapel in America was erected, in John-street, 
New York, under the direction of trustees. The 
old subscription paper and first pulpit are still 
in existence. At the organization of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, in 1784, the Conference 
adopted Mr. Wesley's deed, which was drawn 
by three of the most eminent lawyers of Lon- 
don, and which secures the fee of the property 
specified to the trustees named, in trust and 
confidence, and to the intent that they and their 
successors shall forever hold said property to 
the use and purposes for which it was pur- 
chased. {Emory's Hist, of Dis., p. 70.) That 
deed has been variously modified since, to ac- 
commodate the laws of the land, but never to 
authorize the appropriation of the property, or 
any part of it, to other objects than those con- 
templated in its purchase. 



Of Trustees. II 

THE PRIMARY OBJECT OF TRUSTEES. 

The primary object of trustees, therefore, 
is to take and hold all our Church property in 
their respective Societies, including meeting- 
houses, parsonages, cemeteries, etc., according 
to our Discipline and usages, in trust for the 
use of the ministers and members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. The fee is vested in 
them, not in the bishops, as has been unjustly 
charged many times. Our trustees have sold 
a great deal of property, but the signature of a 
bishop never was found necessary to perfect a 
title. No bishop or pastor was thought of in 
this connection. They might have been advised 
with as to the expediency of the sale ; but not 
being owners, even in trust, their names could 
add nothing to the validity of the deed. This is 
not the case with Romanists, with whom we 
have been improperly compared. 

A friend of ours and a trustee purchased a 
costly Roman Catholic church several years ago 
for commercial purposes. We asked him who 
signed the deed, to which he replied, "The 
bishop," giving his name. 

It is equally the duty of trustees to protect 
the property, and keep it in order for the pur- 
poses contemplated, In some of the States they 



12 Helps to Official Members. 

receive the rents and income from it, and are 
holden to pay all the expenses of public wor- 
ship, including the preacher's salary/fuel, lights, 
etc. In others, the stewards share the income, 
by mutual agreement, and pay all the expenses, 
except those which arise from repairs, insur- 
ance, taxes, etc. Of course they must be gov- 
erned by the laws of their State, but no laws 
are so specific as not to allow the most free and 
friendly co-operation between these two classes 
of Church officers in promoting the common 
welfare of the Societies they serve. 

THEIR POWERS, HOW LIMITED. 

At the first, trustees only held the property. 
They had no power to mortgage or sell it. In 
1796 the General Conference revised the Deed 
of Settlement, so as to allow them to do both, 
under certain restrictions. But in vindication 
of the provisions of the deed it declared, " the 
preservation of our union, and the progress of 
the work of God, indispensably require that the 
free and full use of the pulpit should be in the 
hands of the General Conference, and the yearly 
Conferences authorized by them. ,, — youmal, 
vol. i, p. 15. 

The trustees cannot shut the Church, there- 
fore, against our regularly authorized ministers, 



Of Trustees, 13 

or against our members for whose use it was 
erected or purchased, nor pervert it to any use 
inconsistent with its legitimate objects. The 
General Conference forbids the acceptance " of 
any charter, deed, or conveyance, for any house 
of worship to be used by us, unless it be pro- 
vided in such charter, deed, or conveyance, that 
the trustees of said house shall at all times per- 
mit such ministers and preachers belonging to 
the Methodist Episcopal Church as shall from 
time to time be duly authorized by the General 
Conference of the ministers of our Church, or 
by the Annual Conferences, to preach and ex- 
pound God's holy word, and to execute the 
Discipline of the Church, and to administer the 
sacraments therein, according to the true mean- 
ing and purport of our deed of settlement." — 
Discipline \ % 369. 

Nor can trustees acquire authorify to close 
the Church by any majority vote of their re- 
spective Societies. This case has been con- 
tested and settled. " They were chosen not to 
do the bidding of any Society, but " to execute 
the trust of carrying out the intention of those 
from whose benevolence flow the temporalities 
put in their charge. If such an excuse will 
ever be available, where will it stop ? . . . Upon 
what principles can it be justified, that they who 



14 Helps to Official Members. 

now live to enjoy the fruits of the charity of the 
dead, should be permitted, at their caprice, to 
control, and, perhaps, divert from its original 
purpose, the endowment which owes none of its 
support to them ? No such principle is known 
in law or morals." — 2 Barbour, 415. 

And this is emphatically just and right :— 

1. Because it is required by a general princi- 
ple of law, to wit, that money or property given 
for specific objects shall be forever holden to 
those objects so long as any of its proper bene- 
ficiaries demand it. 

2. Because to leave such property to be used 
at the option of trustees or Societies would 
often defeat the purposes of benevolence and 
religion, and thus embarrass the operations of 
both. Who will be willing to donate money for 
religious purposes, knowing that it may be per- 
verted in an hour after his death, if not before, 
to promote infidelity ? 

3. It will prevent contention. In purchasing 
land for a church in Boston, it was proposed to 
us to make a deed, leaving Methodism a little 
out of sight. We answered, " No, if it is to be 
a Methodist Church, write it so in the deed ; if 
it is to be a Baptist Church, write that plainly, 
so that there can be no misunderstanding on 
the part of the contributors, or their successors." 



Of Trustees. 15 

We have known several attempts to secure the 
control of the pulpit to the trustees or the 
Society, but they always made trouble. Real 
Methodists were fearful, and stood back, and 
others did not care to help a divided people. 

OTHER RESTRICTIONS. 

The power of our trustees is limited to the 
property belonging to the Church which they 
represent. It does not necessarily involve the 
control of the benevolent collections raised by 
the pastor or other officers. Trustees may take 
collections and subscriptions for the payment 
of debts, or for repairs and improvements on the 
property under their control ; but they have no 
right to forbid the pastor, stewards, or properly 
constituted committees, raising money to pay 
necessary expenses not otherwise provided for, 
or for the various benevolences of the Church. 
Nor have they any right to demand that all 
moneys thus raised shall pass through their 
hands. Where the house or pews are rented, 
it seems eminently proper that they should col- 
lect the rents ; but they may arrange with the 
stewards to do it, which is not uncommon 
where the stewards provide for the general ex- 
penses. But this is of no account, except in 
extreme cases of difficulty. These matters 



1 6 Helps to Official Members. 

should be fully and amicably arranged in the 
Quarterly Conference, or official meeting, and 
the best plan adopted and carried into effect by 
the co-operation of all parties. Some trustees 
have seemed to think themselves the owners 
and masters of the Church, with full liberty to 
please themselves. This is a mistake ; they are 
servants of all. While they hold the Church 
property, they can only use it in a certain way, 
and that for the benefit of the parties and cause 
it was intended to subserve, They have no 
right to use the church when not occupied by 
the pastor for any other purpose inconsistent 
with that for which it was erected. " Corpora- 
tions created for a specific object have no power 
to take and hold real estate for purposes wholly 
foreign to that object." — 3 Pickering, 232-240. 

TWO ERRORS TO BE AVOIDED. 

In the course of human events trustees have 
been known, under special excitement, to shut 
the church doors against a regularly appointed 
preacher and his people. This is always an 
error and a breach of trust. It has also oc- 
curred in connection with these cases that the 
offended party have broken into the church 
and taken possession of it by force. This is an- 
other error which should never be committed. 



Of Trustees. 17 

The courts have decided that "if the trustees 
have violated their trust, the Society has ample 
remedy." But, " while the trustees are in actual 
possession the civil authority is bound to pro- 
tect them against the unlawful and irregular in- 
trusion of any persons, whether members of the 
Church or strangers. The trustees are respon- 
sible for the faithful discharge of their trust, 
not to a violent mob, but to the Society in a 
legal manner, whose interests they serve." — 
Rep. 9 Johnson, 156. 

RESPONSIBILITY OF TRUSTEES. 

Trustees in making contracts are not person- 
ally responsible when they sign them, or notes 
growing out of them, as trustees, as for exam- 
ple : John Doe, Trustee. If they do not sign 
as trustees, they may be personally holden. 
The same is true of the building committee. 
By signing as a committee they bind the trust- 
ees or other party for whom they act, but ex- 
onerate themselves as individuals, and their own 
property. 

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE PEW 

SYSTEM. 

Our Discipline was arranged with reference 
to free churches, and contains no instructions 



1 8 Helps to Official Members. 

about the management of pews. But as the 
practice of selling or renting pews has become 
somewhat prevalent among us, it is necessary 
for trustees to understand the law governing 
in such cases. The numerous conflicts be- 
tween trustees and pew-holders in other denom- 
inations have pretty clearly developed the rights 
of both parties. The following principles are 
reliable : — 

The Society, or their representatives, the trustees, own 
the fee of the land on which the house is erected. By a 
grant of a pew the grantee . . . can claim no interest in the 
soil beneath his pew, nor in the space above it, nor an 
absolute claim to any part of the building itself. The 
Society can control the soil, can construct a gallery and 
pews above him, and prevent the pew-holder from remov- 
ing the material of his pew from the house. The right 
of the pew-owner is limited as to time. If the house be 
burned, or destroyed by time, the right is lost. The 
grant of a pew does not bind the Society to provide for 
the maintenance of public worship in the meeting-house, 
but they may abandon it at pleasure. It is the opinion, 
also, of able jurists, that the rights of a pew-owner are 
subject to the right of a Society to remove the house to 
such a location as will best accommodate the whole con- 
gregation. In this case the value of the property is not 
diminished, but rather enhanced, by the more commodi- 
ous location of the house. But the pew-owner does ac- 
quire the exclusive right to occupy his pew when the 
house is opened for public religious worship. . . . (See 
17 Mass. Rep., 435 ; 1 Pickering, 102 ; 24 Pickering, 347 ; 



Of Trustees. 19 

4 N. H. Rep,, 181, 182 ; 3 Washburn, 266, 277 ; 5 Met- 
calf> 127; 5 Cowen, 496 ; 19 Pickering, 361.) 

When a house is holden by trustees as a place of wor- 
ship, and for no other use, and the deeds recognise this 
use exclusively, the pew-owner can claim the right to oc- 
cupy his pew whenever the house is opened, though it be 
for a different purpose, and the trustees cannot prevent 
his doing so. " It is the practice,'* however, as Judge 
Shaw remarks. " for religious Societies to lend the use of 
their houses to various societies and philanthropic asso- 
ciations, to hold meetings for various purposes, and 
upon such occasions it has been usual for the body or 
association to whom the house is lent, to control the use 
of the pews, without regard to particular owners." — 

5 Metcalfe 133. 

No pew-holder has a right to use his pew for any pur- 
pose other than that for which it was intended, nor can 
he modify it to the detriment of other pew-holders. 
Should the house be taken down, because unfit for 
further use as a church, he can claim no indemnity. 
But if taken down to render it more convenient, and 
the materials are used in the reconstruction, he has 
a just claim. In the latter case trustees should have 
the pews properly appraised, and tender each owner the 
value of his pew. 

All interest of any person in a pew to extend beyond 
one year should be secured in writing. (16 Wendall, 28.) 

Houses of worship, pews, and their furniture, are ex- 
empt from taxation in nearly all the States in the Union. 
In some, pews are regarded as real estate ; in others, as 
personal. They may be attached like other property, 
but New Hampshire, and, perhaps, some other States, 
exempt one pew for each family. 



20 Helps to Official Members. 

In selling pews at auction, the auctioneer, though a 
trustee, is the agent for both parties, for the purchaser 
as well as the trustees. The memorandum of the sale 
must be perfect, including the conditions, etc. The mere 
writing of the name of the purchaser on the ground plan 
of the pews, with the amount which is bid, is not suffi- 
cient. (16 Wendall, 28.) 

Embarrassments have arisen in selling pews outright, 
and also in renting them, from the lack of proper pre- 
caution in constructing the lease or deed. It should al- 
ways embrace the following particulars, and, perhaps, 
some others, to provide for special occasions, to wit : — 

The pew or seat in the Methodist Episcopal Church 

in the said L , which is numbered , with all the 

privileges and appurtenances, estate, right, title, interest, 
and property of us, or of either of us, whatsoever, as 
trustees for and in behalf of the said Methodist Episco- 
pal Society, reserving to the said Methodist Episcopal 
Society the sole use of the said church, as a place of 
religious worship, according to the rules and discipline 
which from time to time may be agreed upon at their 
General Conferences ; and also reserving to the said 
Methodist Episcopal Society the sole use of the said pew 
during the holding of love-feasts, class-meetings, and 
such special church meetings as the duly authorized 
ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church shall ap- 
point ; and also reserving unto the said Methodist Epis- 
copal Society the right to levy a proportionate tax upon 
said pew for the necessary repairs and insurance of the 
house. {Baker on the Discipline, pp. 1 89, 1 94. Ed. 1 874.) 

All these objects may be easily provided for 
at the outset. If overlooked then there is no 



Of Trustees. 21 

telling what embarrassments may ensue. An 
ounce of prevention is better than a pound of 
cure. 

OF THE APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES. 

The Discipline requires that each board of 
trustees shall consist of from three to nine per- 
sons not less than twenty-one years of age, a 
majority of whom shall be members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Where the civil 
law does not interfere, they are to be chosen 
annually by the Quarterly Conference of the 
circuit or station upon the nomination of the 
preacher in charge, or the presiding elder of 
the district, and hold their office until their 
successors are elected. — Discipline, paragraphs 

370-373. 

But, owing to the diversity in former or exist- 
ing State laws, there is little uniformity among 
us either in originating or perpetuating boards 
of trustees. In New York these boards were 
formerly arranged in conformity to ancient par- 
ish laws, enacted for the convenience of other 
denominations, and modified by innumerable 
amendments, which challenged the profoundest 
legal wisdom. Many boards in New England 
were organized under Congregational parish laws 
which were as unsuited to our economy as a 



22 Helps to Official Members. 

poor carriage road is to a railroad car. In that 
embarrassing state of affairs many were for- 
mally organized under special charters, and elect 
trustees as they require. Several States have 
provided a general act under which all denomi- 
nations may assume corporate powers in con- 
formity with their peculiar system and methods 
of business. Every State should enact such a 
law to save religious Societies the trouble and 
expense of procuring special acts, or running 
their own machinery in antiquated grooves to 
which it has little adaptation. 

The aim, however, should always be to elect 
men who are interested in the Church, whether 
members or not— men of talent and influence, 
who know something of human nature and busi- 
ness, and have enterprise and integrity enough 
to exercise the functions of the office in exact 
accord with its objects. 

PROPERTY TO BE SECURED IN PERPETUITY. 

In obtaining property, special care should be 
taken with regard to the title, that it be unques- 
tionable. Many deeds have been accepted which 
secured the fee to the trustees only so long as 
they occupied the premises for church purposes. 
If they should vacate, the property would revert 
to the grantor or his heirs. This was a mis- 



Of Trustees. 23 

take. It is generally bad policy to accept the 
gift, or, more properly speaking, the loan of 
property on these conditions. It is better to 
purchase and take a title in fee simple. Many 
of our bad locations originated in the gift of the 
land, and this restriction in the deed stands 
in the way of a change for the better in many 
places. 

This, perhaps, is all that need be said gener- 
ally with regard to trustees. Other points of 
interest will be developed in speaking of their 
work. It should never be forgotten, however, 
that the office is not for the glory of the men 
who hold it, but for the glory of God and the 
welfare of the Church. It gives them a com- 
manding influence, in the exercise of which self 
should be excluded, otherwise there will be 
trouble. We believe our trustees generally to 
be good men. The Church is greatly indebted 
to them for their self-sacrifice and efficiency. 
But some are hardly entitled to this credit. They 
insist on maintaining a ministry that accom- 
plishes little more than a regular decline, and a 
social life that is ruinous to vital piety, and the 
Church is dying upon their hands. Churches 
of different denominations have been sold out 
and buried, and it should be inscribed upon 
their tombstones in staring capitals, Died of 



24 Helps to Official Members. 

the Trustees. And, if there is not an im- 
provement in the management of this holy trust 
in other directions, we fear the number will be 
greatly increased. Methodism is life, or it is 
nothing. It was not made to follow the ruts of 
other sects. It must be aggressive or retro- 
grade — advance or die. It needs trustees to 
stir up its fires and pile on the fuel. But when 
they neglect this, and apply their great power 
to the brakes, what can we expect ? 



Of Church Building. 25 



CHAPTER II. 

OF CHURCH BUILDING. 

HISTORICAL FACTS — EVILS RESULTING FROM HEAVY DEBTS — PRACTICAL 
SUGGESTIONS, ETC. 

THE corner-stone of the first Methodist 
chapel in the world was laid in Bristol, 
England, May 12. 1739; and that of the first 
in America was laid in New York twenty-nine 
years after, in 1768. Both enterprises were un- 
dertaken after much prayer, and carried through 
with many sacrifices, though not without incur- 
ring some debt. 

This was the beginning of Methodist church 
building, the history of which has never been 
written, and never can be. Once started on this 
line, and being generally shut out of public 
buildings, every little Society began to covet a 
chapel of its own, and rushed into the work, 
and many of them into debt beyond their means 
of paying. When the aggregate amount of the 
connectional debt was found to be .£11,383, 
some fifty-five thousand dollars, Mr. Wesley was 
alarmed, and said, " We shall be ruined." To 
prevent further embarrassment he commanded, 



26 Helps to Official Members. 

" Let all the preaching-houses be built plain and 
decent, but no more expensive than is abso- 
lutely unavoidable ; " and he forbade the build- 
ing of any new chapel " unless two thirds of the 
expenses should be subscribed." 

American Methodists early adopted his prin- 
ciples, but soon departed from them, especially 
in the matter of contracting debts. The Con- 
ferences demurred, but this did not restrain en- 
terprising adventurers, and the debts increased, 
though the churches were generally sufficiently 
plain and uninviting. 

WONDERFUL ADVANCE IN CHURCH PROPERTY. 

Twenty years ago we had few churches that 
would now be deemed tasteful. Our first 
report of Church property was made in 1857, 
showing 8,335 churches, valued at $15,781,310. 
Soon afterward there sprang up a wonderful 
revival in church building, demanding better 
churches and more of them. In ten years 
(1867) we reported 11,121 churches, valued at 
$35*885,439, showing an increase of nearly one 
third in the number of churches, and of more 
than 125 per cent, in their value. And yet we have 
gained more rapidly since than before. The 
Minutes of 1875 show 15,633 churches, valued 
at $71,353,234, or an increase of more than one 



Of Church Building. 27 

third in the number of churches, and about ninety 
per cent, in their estimated value in eight years. 

This rapid advance has involved great liber- 
ality and tremendous struggles. If it has been 
attended with unprecedented blunders and 
mortifying defeats, it is not surprising. The 
success of- some who began to build early in 
the period mentioned stimulated others to vent- 
ure beyond their ability, and many have been 
caught by the financial pressure, and will not 
escape without a terrible scathing, if they do 
not lose every thing. The struggle may be use- 
ful, and the experience of the immediate suffer- 
ers ought to teach others a lesson of caution. 

These figures show, also, what we well know 
to be the fact, namely, that many of the churches 
of to-day are of much higher grade than we for- 
merly possessed. The cost of those reported 
in 1857 averaged less than $1,900 each, while 
those reported in 1874 averaged over $4,600. 
This may be accounted for in part by the ad- 
vance in cost of labor and material, but it is 
largely attributable to a multitude of expensive 
churches, many of which were ill advised. 

HEAVY DEBTS DISASTROUS. 

While we strongly believe in fine churches, 
we see serious objections to such as cannot be 



28 Helps to Official Members. 

paid for and conveniently sustained without 
burdening our friends or courting our enemies. 

i. They drive off the poor, who cannot afford 
to purchase or hire a pew in them, unless it be 
in a retired position, and who have too much 
pride or self-respect to occupy a free seat in the 
gallery. This effect is little less certain when 
such houses are nominally free, for they require 
so much begging, to which the poor are unable 
to respond with a liberality corresponding to 
the necessities of the case, that they feel com- 
pelled to stay at home, or go to other churches 
where they can occupy a higher position rela- 
tively at less expense. This is a great calamity. 
Many of our present ministers and wealthy 
men came from this class. Being converted 
young, they grew up into position and power 
among us. We have little success in winning 
men already rich, or ministers already prepared 
to our hand. Our candidates are among the 
poor, and are to be converted and led to the min- 
istry or to wealth as God shall direct. Hence 
to lose the poor is ruinous to our prospects. 

These expensive churches contribute to this 
evil in another way. They are apt to change 
the spirit and style of public and social worship 
in a manner to render them less attractive to 
the poor. A splendid house demands a fine 



Of Church Building. 29 

preacher, and a fine preacher to please a par- 
ticular class of hearers. Thus the poor are 
overlooked, and soon slip away to find more 
congenial society and higher spirituality. This 
is, perhaps, the worst effect of extravagant 
churches, but is by no means the only one to 
be deprecated. 

2. They often keep men of means from com- 
ing among us. Not that they are unwilling to 
pay a reasonable amount in pew rent or sub- 
scription, but they see a crushing debt hanging 
over the church, the responsibility of which they 
do not care to assume. They are sharp enough 
to know that every worshiper will have to be 
taxed to his utmost ability to carry that burden, 
so they only visit the church evenings, and at 
other odd times, as they may, without incurring 
any responsibility. Some of our Societies have 
been sadly retarded by this cause. They have 
wondered why their preacher did not "draw" 
more people. While they remained in their old 
house some would not come because it was not 
respectable. Had they built reasonably they 
would have obviated this objection without incur- 
ring another ; but plunging recklessly into debt 
for a beautiful house, which is no credit to them 
considering its incumbrances, they are more em- 
barrassed than before. Many are afraid of them. 



30 Helps to Official Members. 

3. Another evil connected with such enter- 
prises is, that we often lose our own men of 
means as well as the poor. Finding that the 
expenses of the church are a constant and ex- 
orbitant drain upon their purses, and a tax up- 
on their patience, and seeing no relief, they 
move away to escape the pressure. Or, if this 
is not convenient, they take offense at some tri- 
fling circumstance and go to some other church. 

4. Finally, such churches often necessitate so 
much catering to the world as to qunech spir- 
itual life and defeat their ostensible purpose. 
Instead of being the blessing anticipated, they 
are a curse and a hinderance to the cause they 
are intended to promote. Improvements are 
desirable, but great errors are committed in 
building so expensively. Houses costing half 
or two thirds the amount invested, under wise 
management would answer all the ends of con- 
venience and utility, and might be paid for, or 
nearly so. 

Cases might be mentioned confirmatory of 
all that we have said, and much more of the 
kind. They are blots upon our history. Thou- 
sands of good people have been alienated from 
us forever by reason of them, and it will require 
years of struggle and sacrifice to recover from 
their ruinous influence. 



Of Church Building. 31 

But it should be said that these are excep- 
tional cases. The majority of our late church- 
building enterprises have probably been wise 
and successful. Our gain in this respect has 
been remarkable, as the foregoing figures show. 
But one defeat makes a deeper impression than 
many triumphs. The object of this writing is 
to warn our trustees against these excesses. 
The forced sale of one fine church at our door 
belonging to another denomination, and the ex- 
treme danger of a similar one of our own, has 
prompted it. In the first case the Society was 
well accommodated, having a fine chapel large 
enough to comfortably seat more people than 
would be likely to attend on ordinary occa- 
sions. But certain leaders were bound to have a 
" first-class " church, and, without waiting to se- 
cure any subscriptions that would justify the nec- 
essary expense, pushed forward and completed 
the work, incurring a debt of more than one 
hundred thousand dollars, when the mortgagees, 
failing to get their interest, sold it out and 
scattered the Society to the winds. In the other 
case the Society sadly needed a new church, and 
were able to build one worth thirty or thirty-five 
thousand dollars ; but being misled by their 
advisers, who seem not to have been well in- 
formed in such business, were drawn by degrees 



32 Helps to Official Members. 

into an expense, 'for church, parsonage, bell, 
organ, piano, melodeon, etc., of about ninety- 
three thousand dollars, leaving debts upon their 
hands of sixty thousand dollars, which they 
have not the means to pay. The trustees have 
suffered extremely in their feelings, business, 
and reputation, as have the people, and all have 
wished many times that they were back in their 
little church. How the affair will terminate it 
is impossible to tell. The prospect is that it 
will be sold at auction to satisfy the mortgages, 
in which case it will bankrupt the leading trust- 
ees, who have involved themselves personally, 
and a number of others holding the position of 
creditors. 

These facts show the wisdom of our Disci- 
pline, which peremptorily prohibits the contrac- 
tion of unreasonable debts, and requests our 
people to discountenance them by declining to 
give pecuniary aid to agents who travel abroad 
for the collection of funds to meet them. (See 
Discipline, ^ 366-368.) 

In view of this state of affairs we propose a few 

Practical Suggestions. 

If the church is to be built and paid for by 
one man, or a few men who are able and dis- 
posed to assume the responsibility, they must 



Of Church Building. 33 

be allowed to determine its size and expense 
without much interference from others. But 
even in this case it is wise to consult the feel- 
ings of those who are expected to enjoy the use 
of it, and we think it better to allow them to 
share in the expense to the extent of their dis- 
position and ability. It would do them good 
by making them feel that they are partners in 
the enterprise, and repel the suspicion of " one 
man power," which is always detrimental to 
harmony and success. 

But in all such cases the expense should be 
paid at once, or be provided for in a legal man- 
ner, so that if the party or parties concerned 
should die, change their location, lose their 
property, or become alienated from the Church, 
the debt may not fall on the masses, who would 
never have contracted it and are unable to pay or 
carry it. Our first experience in paying church 
debts fully justifies this suggestion. The debt 
was incurred by one good rich man, who con- 
trolled in every thing, and intended to pay it, 
but was suddenly stricken down by death, leav- 
ing no provision, in his will or otherwise, for 
doing so. His heirs, being opposed to the 
Methodists, would do nothing. The result was, 
the debt fell upon a poor society, which struggled 
under it for many years, expecting to be sold 



34 Helps to Official Members. 

out. Deliverance, however, came at last, but not 
until several preachers had suffered for want of 
bread, and Methodism had been sadly dishonored. 
This remark is equally applicable to other be- 
nevolent enterprises. Gentlemen have liberally 
proposed to give large sums toward the estab- 
lishment or endowment of a college or school, 
and thereby drawn others into the movement, 
but, failing to pay the amount, or give proper 
security, the whole has been lost, to the dam- 
age, if not to the utter defeat, of the enterprise. 
Those who are kind enough to promise such 
indispensable sums should secure them as 
fully as they would any just debt for the same 
amount, otherwise their proposed liberality may 
prove to be a curse rather than a blessing. 
But, to come to the main point, we suggest : 
i. When a new church is contemplated let 
the matter be thoroughly considered and talked 
over by all the parties in interest, rich and poor 
together — not excluding the children. Though 
the trustees are the official leaders in the busi- 
ness, they are the servants of the people, and 
need their sympathy and support. But if they 
move independently of them, and erect a church 
to suit themselves only, how can they expect 
to have either ? We knew a case of this sort. 
The house was well enough, but the deed was 



Of Church Building. 35 

a little irregular. It was called the trustees' 
church, and the people did not cheerfully rally 
to pay for it. The result was, it was shut up 
under foreclosure, and the congregation turned 
into the street. This was all for the want of a 
little prudent care of the masses at the outset. 

"In order," says our Discipline, " more effect- 
ually to prevent our people from contracting 
debts which they are not able to discharge, it 
shall be the duty of the Quarterly Conference 
of every circuit and station where it is contem- 
plated to build a house or houses of worship to 
secure the ground or lot on which such house or 
houses are to be built, according to our Deed of 
Settlement, which deed must be legally executed; 
and also said Quarterly Conference shall appoint 
a judicious committee of at least three members 
of our Church, who shall form an estimate of 
the amount necessary to build ; and three fourths 
of the money, according to such estimate, shall 
be secured or subscribed before any such build- 
ing shall be commenced." — Discipline, ^[ 367. 

2. Having settled upon the church needed — 
its location, style, etc. — the next point is to 
ascertain how much the people are disposed to 
give toward it. And caution is necessary at 
this point, as some will promise to give more 
than they are able, or will ever pay. They will 



36 Helps to Official Members. 

follow their zeal, ambition, or, perhaps, their 
pride, rather than their judgment and capacity. 
We have known men to subscribe a thousand 
dollars who never had so much, and whose 
prospects were not improving. They did it 
under instruction to do so, and trust in the 
Lord to furnish the means to pay it. In one 
case, where some $27,000 were subscribed on 
this principle, not $6,000, the pastor informed 
me, were ever collected, and not one dollar on 
several thousand-dollar subscriptions. This is 
the direct road to insolvency. It may make a 
brilliant show in the papers, but it will not pay 
church bills. Our advice is directly the oppo- 
site, namely : subscribe all you are able to pay, 
and when you are more able subscribe again. 
The losses on these first subscriptions have 
often led to serious embarrassments. 

And we will add in this connection, glace 
little confidence in hints, inuendoes, and con- 
ditional assurances looking toward liberal help, 
which you cannot reduce to a bona-ftde sub- 
scription. The presumption that Mr. or Mrs. 

will do some good thing is not reliable. 

Put down nothing that cannot be fairly de- 
pended on in time to pay the bills to be in- 
curred. And when you have done your best in 
prosperous times and changeable communities, 



Of Church Building. 37 

you may calculate on a loss of one sixth of the 
amount, which will, perhaps, be made up from 
unexpected sources. 

3. With a subscription thus carefully made, 
and a mortgage on the property for one fourth 
or one third of its cost, fairly engaged, you may 
proceed. A moderate debt, under a good finan- 
cial policy, is no damage to a Church. It some- 
times holds and steadies it in a storm, as an 
anchor does a ship. We have known several 
saved to Methodism by their debts. Had they 
been unincumbered, the malcontents would 
have taken them off with themselves, but the 
burden was greater than they could bear. 

We do not object to a small debt for another 
reason : good churches are made for new-com- 
ers as well as for present residents, and, judging 
from our past progress, their future occupants 
will be better able, and not less disposed, to 
pay the debts remaining on them than their 
predecessors were to lay the foundations. 

DO NOT BUILD FOR POSTERITY. 

There is one other remark that may help to 
keep brethren out of extravagant enterprises. 
While there is good reason to believe that new 
and respectable churches will be occupied from 
twenty to thirty years, we cannot calculate on 



38 Helps to Official Members. 

much beyond. We say, therefore, to brethren 
about to build, build for yourselves, and not for 

posterity. The society at needed a new 

church, and could have erected one for $30,000 
which would have been every way adapted to 
their necessities. But in their pious benevo- 
lence they built one for posterity costing 
twice that sum, entailing on themselves and 
their immediate successors a crushing debt. 
But in a few years, while some of the trustees 
were still living, " posterity " tore it down and 
erected one more agreeable to its taste. Build 
for yourselves, and leave posterity to do the 
same. If you can nearly pay for a church that 
will meet your demands for ten or fifteen years, 
build it. Your successors will repudiate it and 
build anew, though you should expend three 
times as much. 

By following this policy you can maintain 
your respectability, and, what is of little less 
importance, your independence. A Society loaded 
with debt becomes servile and crouching. It 
must please every body, so as to get money and 
keep off the sheriff. It will be tempted to re- 
sort to questionable concerts, fairs, lotteries, lec- 
tures, games, and excursions, against its own 
convictions and professions, and often to the 
disgrace of religion and Methodism. And, 



Of Church Building, 39 

then, it must be continually begging, which is 
mortifying alike to the beggar and the people. 

HOW NOT TO PROCEED. 

4. We have said, with the subscription de- 
scribed, and a permanent loan from some solid 
institution or individual that will not be called 
for so long as the interest is paid, you may pro- 
ceed. But in what manner ? The first thing 
is to get a plan of a house that will come with- 
in your contemplated expense. This is often 
sought by, engaging an architect who, in nine- 
teen cases out of twenty, will furnish an original 
model, and under-estimate the cost of the con- 
struction. In an experience of forty-five years 
we have never known a solitary case where the 
expense did not exceed the figures of the archi- 
tect. It has sometimes been more than double. 
We have a case in hand now involving a debt 
for church and parsonage of $60,000, where the 
cost for the church was not to exceed $32,000, 
and yet it ran up to over $72,000 without any 
serious accident. The trustees erred in enlist- 
ing an architect who neither understood them 
or his business. Architects have their uses, 
like other professional men, but they know 
little of the difficulty of paying for a church, 
and will generally need to be followed afar off. 



40 Helps to Official Members. 



CHAPTER III. 

OF ARCHITECTS. 

PLANS, CONTRACTS, PARSONAGES, ORGANS, ETC. 

HAVING indicated the lack of wisdom in 
BLINDLY FOLLOWING ARCHITECTS, We will 

now add, it is generally impolitic to employ 
them at all to get up designs, unless you have 
plenty of money, and wish to astonish the world 
with some new model, i. Because you cannot 
afford to experiment on the business. 2. Be- 
cause the chances for success, were you to at- 
tempt it, are against you. The Methodist 
Episcopal Church has already more than fifteen 
thousand church edifices in this country, em- 
bracing many different styles of architecture, 
costing from $300 to $250,000 each. Multi- 
tudes of them have been exhibited on paper, 
and others are within reach, so that you can 
easily see how they appear. Their sizes, pro- 
portions, materials, and cost may be easily ob- 
tained, and will indicate which is to be pre- 
ferred, all things considered. It is not difficult 
to find churches constructed for $10,000 that 



Of Architects. 41 

will be justly preferred to others which cost 
twice that amount. Some of them are perfect 
charms, beautiful, easy to speak and hear in, 
and in every way attractive and inviting, while 
others are as notably defective. It is folly 
to expect any architect to excel the best of 
them, particularly in their acoustic properties. 
Churches differ radically in this particular, and 
no architect can tell why. In some, the lowest 
voice can be heard in every part ; while in others 
of the same size the loudest is indistinct, and 
hearing difficult, if not impossible. The only 
sure way to success in this respect is to select a 
model that has been fully tested and follow it. 
The importance of this point cannot be over- 
estimated. It has more to do with the health, 
happiness, and usefulness of the preacher, and 
the size of the congregation, than is generally 
imagined. For him to strain his voice to make 
himself heard, and fail, is killing, not only to 
him, but the people ; they will soon leave him. 
3. Because you can readily obtain models of 
these most desirable houses, embracing every 
thing necessary, without an architect. Why 
overlook all these advantages, and venture upon 
new experiments ? 

The same is true with regard to, another point 
of incalculable importance. Many of our houses 



42 Helps to Official Members. 

of worship are too churchly — a miserable imita- 
tion of some old cathedral — cold and unsocial. 
One feels a chill the moment he enters them, as 
he feels easy and comfortable on entering oth- 
ers of a different construction. What makes 
the difference it may be difficult to determine ; 
but the high and ponderous pulpit and gallery, 
and the massive pews, have something to do 
with it. It had been better for Methodism, 
perhaps, had the old statute forbidding us to 
build churches remained in force, and thus com- 
pelled us to erect social, home-like chapels. 
They cost less, are more convenient and invit- 
ing, and make charming and respectable places 
of religious worship and pious resort. By look- 
ing about trustees will readily experience the 
difference, and may select a model to suit their 
taste and means. 

PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS INDISPENSABLE. 

But, whether with or without an architect, 
you should have your plan complete from foun- 
dation to dome before you strike the first blow ; 
and then write out the specifications, embrac- 
ing every timber, board, and brick, the style of 
finish, the pulpit, pews, etc., etc., even to a 
window-spring. This will require time and 
work, but it will save time, and money too, in 



Of Architects. 43 

the end. There can be no accurate estimate of 
the cost without it. Hurried and half-finished 
plans lead to many changes and extras, which 
experience has proved to be exceedingly expen- 
sive. With such a plan a builder can tell at 
the outset just what material he needs, and 
may contract for it at once with the greatest 
economy. Without it he has to work at ran- 
dom, and purchase from time to time as he 
finds it necessary to accommodate the ever- 
changing notions of his employers. 

Since writing the above an article has ap- 
peared in the Evening Post giving a frightful 
exhibit of Church debts in New York city, and 
questioning the honesty of such investments. 
It most truthfully affirms that " it would be easy 
to show that for half, or less than half the cost 
of any of our finer churches, a building fully as 
large, quite as comfortable, and reasonably well 
looking outside and inside, might have been 
built." People generally have little idea of the 
vast amount of money worse than wasted in 
the construction of churches. The examina- 
tion of existing edifices and their relative cost 
can but furnish trustees with lessons of busi- 
ness wisdom they will not be likely to derive 
from architects ! 



44 Helps to Official Members. 

how to make a contract. 

The plans and specifications completed, the 
next thing to be done is to contract for the 
work. If you are acquainted with a competent 
builder who knows how to purchase stock and 
employ men to the best advantage, you may 
commit the whole job to him, and do it by the 
day. But you will build more economically to 
advertise for bids, and let out the whole con- 
tract. Honest men, even, will do more work by 
the job than by the day in the same length of 
time, and some men will get rich by doing jobs 
which would bankrupt others, because they 
know better how to purchase material and turn 
off work. In this way, too, you have the bene- 
fit of competition. 

Then, if you will enlist some capable person 
to watch the progress of the building, and see 
that the plan and specification are faithfully fol- 
lowed, you will be likely to be satisfied. But it 
will be necessary to contract with parties who 
have the means to carry the matter through, or 
when the house is done you may find it covered 
with builders' liens, or otherwise involved in a 
manner to embarrass you. And, to make a sure 
thing of your contract, we repeat, leave nothing 
to be understood, but write out every particular 



Of Architects. 45 

just as you mean to have it, and then stand your 
ground. 

These suggestions are the result of consider- 
able experience in building. They are as appli- 
cable to parsonages, seminaries, sheds, etc., as 
to churches. 

AN EMERGENCY PROVIDED FOR. 

But it may be asked, " What can be done 
when we have no one among us to work up the 
plan as proposed ? " We answer, Hire some hon- 
est practical builder, who is not going to take the 
contract, to do it for you. He will have no temp- 
tation to deceive you or to swell the expense, as 
he might have if he were to receive a percent- 
age on the outlay, as is too common in such 
cases. This is a very delicate part of the busi- 
ness, and should be executed with much care. 
A few dollars laid out at this point may save 
thousands on the building, and will often keep 
Societies out of vexatious difficulties. Some of 
our preachers have done so much of this kind 
of work that they have become masters. They 
should not be overlooked in such undertakings. 
We used to advise all the churches on our dis- 
trict about to build to send for one preacher in 
particular, who was a mechanic before he was a 
minister, and could draw plans and calculate the 



46 Helps to Official Members. 

cost of construction with great accuracy, and 
we have no doubt that he saved them thousands 
of dollars. But most preachers are not safe 
managers in such business, having had little 
education or experience to fit them for it. They 
are more likely to follow their wishes or ambi- 
tion than their judgment, if they have any, and 
plan for a splendid church, without due regard 
to its cost or the chances of paying for it. 

DANGER OF ATTEMPTING TOO MUCH. 

Brethren often make a mistake, also, in at- 
tempting too much. Being unable to pay for 
a suitable church without incurring a debt, in 
their zeal they strike for a parsonage also, and 
other appliances, which, however desirable, are 
not positively necessary, and might be post- 
poned without serious detriment. A poor So- 
ciety at — — - undertook to erect a church of 
moderate cost, which they could have paid for ; 
but as they proceeded their plans expanded in 
the hands of the architect, until they involved 
an outlay of more than double the amount pro- 
posed. Had they stopped here they might pos- 
sibly have survived, though it would have cost 
them a terrible struggle ; but, wishing to have 
every thing complete, they added a large bell, 
a splendid parsonage, a grand organ, piano, and 



Of Architects. 47 

melodeon, and contracted a debt they can never 
pay, and are now in the hands of the sheriff, 
who will probably sell them out. Had they ad- 
hered to their original purpose, or only finished 
the basement of the church, which would have 
accommodated the people five years at least, 
they would have saved themselves a world of 
trouble and mortification, and the cause of 
Methodism a disgrace it will not soon overcome. 
Other Societies have taken a wiser course, and 
purchased land enough for a church and vestry. 
Having erected the vestry, making it convenient 
for public worship, and occupied it until they 
needed the church and were able to build it, 
they are now enjoying every convenience with- 
out embarrassment. 

ERRORS WITH REGARD TO LOCATION. 

And this suggests other errors which have 
too often occurred with regard to the location ; 
it has been ill chosen, and unreasonably re- 
stricted. Societies in their poverty have accepted 
the gift of a lot in the wrong place, when they 
might better have bought one in the right place. 
Then they have often purchased only enough 
land for a small church, when they should have 
bought enough for a large one, parsonage, sheds, 
and, in some cases, for a cemetery. Roman 



48 Helps to Official Members. 

Catholics seldom blunder in this respect. They 
look ahead, and buy largely where they see a 
coming town or city, though they may not occupy 
it for many years. If we happen to have a little 
surplus land we are apt to sell it. A few who 
have held on are now independent by reason of 
the advance in the value of their spare lots. 

The British Conference, after multiplied ex- 
periments, has brought church building some- 
what under conference supervision and control. 
Our Church aimed at something of the kind in 
the organization of the Church Extension Soci- 
ety, but has largely failed in this particular, and 
will fail, we fear, owing to the broadness of our 
field of action, and the independency of our 
people. Our local Churches and officers must 
take care of themselves in this matter. The 
connectional feeling and purse of our Church 
are not sufficient to protect them if they fail 
to do so. They should, therefore, plan with 
the same economy they would if they stood ab- 
solutely alone, except on missionary ground. 
Most of the talk about getting help from the 
Church Extension Society, or from " abroad," is 
delusive, and must not be trusted — especially in 
application to the erection of fine churches. 



Of Architects. 49 

PARSONAGES, ORGANS, ETC., DEFERRED. 

We are aware of the inconvenience of being 
without a church, and of uncomfortable churches ; 
but, great* as it is, it is preferable to a crushing 
debt requiring perpetual scheming to get money 
to appease creditors. A good parsonage has 
its advantages, and an organ is desirable, but 
neither can compensate for embarrassing debts. 
Besides, it is easier generally to pay for them, 
and other similar conveniences, in advance than 
afterward. Many will give something to buy 
them who, when obtained, will give nothing to 
pay for them. There is little difficulty in rais- 
ing the money to purchase a bell where the 
people feel the need of one, but it may be next 
to impossible to pay for one already obtained. 
Where it is hard to get money enough to pay 
for the church, these things had better be left 
out of the building account, to be taken up 
afterward, and separately, as circumstances may 
suggest. And they had better be paid for when 
purchased, rather than bought on credit. 

With regard to organs, we shall speak more 
particularly under the head of church music. 
Societies have made grand mistakes in expend- 
ing thousands of dollars where as many hun- 
dreds would have served them a better purpose. 



50 Helps to Official Members. 

Parsonages, too, have been built without due 
consideration. Preachers, who should have a 
study, and are liable to much company, need a 
little different house from ordinary people — one 
that is convenient for doing work, easy to warm, 
and that furnishes room for stowing numerous 
boxes and trunks used in moving. Consulta- 
tion with pastors, especially with their wives, 
would often secure a much better house for the 
same amount of money. 

Other suggestions might be appropriate, but 
perhaps these are sufficient for the present. 

Let no one construe what we have said into 
distrust of God. There is room enough for 
trust after we have done our best, and there is 
no ground for it until we reach that point. 
God helps those who help themselves by trying 
to keep out of difficulties as well as by seeking 
to get out of them. When he calls we must 
venture, though it be in the dark ; till then we 
should follow reason and common sense, and 
pray for direction. 

OF COLLECTIONS. 

Great embarrassments have resulted from 
neglect with regard to the collections. The 
subscription book should specify when the sev- 
eral sums pledged shall be due and payable, 



Of Architects. 51 

and it is generally wise to have them divided 
into installments to accommodate the maturing 
liabilities of the trustees or building committee 
growing out of the contract. People in ordinary 
circumstances can pay a subscription in three 
or four installments several weeks or months 
apart, easier than they can pay the whole at once. 
And, if the subscribers understand that these 
payments are arranged to accommodate the ob- 
ligations of the trustees to the builder, they will 
be much more likely to pay promptly. 

OF SUBSCRIPTION PAPERS. 

No particular form is required to render them 
legal. The object and conditions of the sub- 
scriptions should be clearly stated, and the sum 
should be made payable to the order of the 
trustees. No pecuniary consideration need to 
be mentioned. The following form will suffice : 

We, the undersigned, severally agree to pay 
to the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in the sum set against our re- 
spective names for the purpose and toward the 
expense of (here state the object, whether it be 
to build or repair a church or parsonage, or 
whatever it may be,) one third on demand, and 
the balance, (here state the time or times.) 

Dated 187 . 



52 Helps to Official Members. 

If any subscription is t£> be paid otherwise 
than in cash, this should be stated. All fictitious 
subscriptions obtained for the purpose of induc- 
ing others to subscribe, or to subscribe more 
largely, invalidates all that follow them. If the 
object proposed should not be undertaken, the 
subscription is not binding. (See Baker on the 
Discipline, pp. 195-197.) 

We advise, also, that payment be kindly and 
promptly demanded as in every other business, 
and of each and every subscriber. Trustees 
who can readily command funds on their own 
personal credit are too apt to neglect this. 
They often collect the larger subscriptions in 
full, and leave the smaller ones to the last, 
which gives the impression to the young and 
poor that they are not considered of much ac- 
count. This is a double mistake, first, in that 
it increases the liability of losing the small sub- 
scriptions altogether ; and, secondly, in that it 
lets an opportunity slip of impressing the poor 
that their subscriptions, however small, are ap- 
preciated, and that they are partners in the 
noble enterprise. This large class of our mem- 
bers and friends have enough, at the least, to 
discourage them, and should have the benefit of 
all such attentions, for their own good and that 
of the cause when they shall become more able. 



Of Architects. 53 

Few fully appreciate the importance of keeping 
such people in good spirits. Young sub- 
scribed five dollars toward erecting the first little 
church in his native town, and raised the money 
by trapping musk-rats, and felt the better for 
it, and for the manner in which it was received. 
When that church was superseded by a better 
one, a splendid edifice, he gave many thou- 
sands. Had his first noble liberality been de- 
spised, the result might have been less gratifying. 
We say, then, collect the small subscriptions 
promptly and kindly. Let little Tommy pay 
his, and Mary hers, and the old folks theirs, and 
make them feel they are important spokes in 
the wheel of progress. This will justify you 
in pressing your claims upon another class ev- 
ery-where found, who have more means, but 
are constitutionally tardy, especially in paying 
church subscriptions. 

IMPORTANCE OF FREQUENT REPORTS. 

Trustees are amenable to the Quarterly Con- 
ference, to which they are required to report 
annually in detail. (See Discipline, ^[ 377.) 
But as a matter of policy, and therefore of duty, 
they should also report not less frequently to 
the whole congregation, showing their receipts 
and expenditures. People give more freely 



54 Helps to Official Members. 

when they know what is done with their money. 
As they are all partners in the business, and 
are desired to contribute, they should be kept 
informed of its operations, necessities, and pros- 
pects. Some trustees have made a great mis- 
take in demanding to be trusted, and yet con- 
cealing their accounts. Fair and open dealing 
is the best for all concerned. Quarterly reports 
are desirable. They show interest on the part 
of the officers, and remind delinquents of their 
shortcomings. 

OTHER SECULAR DUTIES. 

It devolves upon the trustees, also, to look 
after the church when finished, to see that it 
is kept clean, warm, and well ventilated. All 
these things have an important bearing upon 
the congregation. A cold house is dangerous 
to health, and an excessively hot one is little 
less so, and few peoplfe can stand a strong cur- 
rent of air even in warm weather. Trustees 
ought to consider these inconveniences, and 
guard against them, not in building only, but 
afterward. People in delicate health hardly 
dare go to some churches. If the trustees 
would be upon the alert to make them comfort- 
able, they would add much to their pleasure 
and to the popularity of their preachers. 



Of Architects. 55 

SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBILITY OF TRUSTEES. 

Trustees are too apt to confine themselves to 
financial duties. Indeed, they have sometimes 
said to others, in so many words, " You do the 
praying and we will look after the money." 

This is an error, a ruinous error, both to 
themselves and the Church. Their official po- 
sition gives them influence and opportunity, 
increasing their obligations to Christian activ- 
ity. It is an additional talent, for the right 
use of which God will hold them responsible. 

1. Being in charge of the Church property, it 
naturally devolves on them to be at the regular 
service early, to smile on all who come, and 
give them a cordial greeting ; especially to wel- 
come strangers, and treat them in such a man- 
ner that they will feel at home and come again. 
In large places this is indispensable. It does 
not answer to transfer this work to the sexton 
or to ushers. They may do well, but they are 
only subordinates. The people want to see the 
fathers and rulers. A word from them is au- 
thoritative. A friendly shake of their hand is 
inspiring. Accepting the office of trustee, one 
should feel that he is the servant of all, to please 
and profit them. Especially that he is hound 
to make the church inviting, not only by its 



56 Helps to Official Members. 

general appearance and internal arrangements, 
but by the urbanity and Christian courtesy of 
its officials. He must be there, wide awake and 
with open arms, to receive and entertain all who 
come, &nd make their personal acquaintance. 
This is little less important in the country, 
where there are few strangers. Half of the 
children and youth belong to poor families, and 
have little acquaintance with Church officers. 
If noticed at all by them it is often in the way of 
complaint. It is forgotten that they are to be 
men and women, and may be intelligent and 
influential. Trustees and other functionaries 
should give them special attention, and please 
" them for their good to edification/' It will en- 
courage them to behave well and try to merit 
respect. 

If our trustees would take this course we 
should have fewer empty churches. People 
don't like to go to church to be reminded, by 
the inattention of trustees, that they are not 
wanted. A warm recognition from this source 
would lead tens of thousands to the church 
who have no place among us. 

2. They should also take an active part in 
the Sunday-school and social means of grace. 
By ignoring these fundamental institutions of 
the Church, or only noticing them as specta-r 



Of Architects. 57 

tors, they depreciate them in the estimation 
of younger minds, and impair their efficiency. 
Many of our Churches are suffering" to-day 
from the neglect of trustees in these particu- 
lars. 

Thus saith the Lord — 'tis God commands ; 

Workers with God, the charge obey ; 
Remove what e'er his work withstands, — 

Prepare, prepare his people's way. 



58 Helps to Official Members. 



CHAPTER IV. 

OF STEWARDS. 

THEIR DUTIES — NECESSARY QUALIFI CATIONS — POSSIBLE ERRORS — SOURCES 

OP HELP, ETC. 

STEWARDS are appointed annually by the 
Quarterly Conference on the nomination 
of the preacher in charge, but may be reap- 
pointed in like manner from year to year with- 
out restriction. Their duties are partially 
financial, but to an important extent social, 
benevolent, and spiritual. While the trustees 
hold and protect the Church property, the 
stewards provide for current expenses, except 
where the civil law imposes this work upon the 
trustees. It is required of them : — 

i. " To take an exact account of all the money 
or other provisions collected for the support of 
the preachers in the circuit or station, and apply 
the same as the Discipline directs." 

2. They are required to " make an accurate 
return of every expenditure of money, whether 
to the preachers, the sick, or the poor," show- 
ing that they have charge of the local charit'.es 



Of Stewards, 59 

of the Church, as well as its necessary ex- 
penses. 

3. They are to " seek the needy and distressed 
in order to relieve and comfort them, and to in- 
form the preacher of any sick or disorderly per- 
sons." This is religious pastoral work of the 
highest importance — the very work Mr. Wesley 
performed himself before the idea of a lay- 
stewardship occurred to him. ( Works, vol. v, 
p. 185.) Then he transferred the business to 
stewards, charging them in these significant 
words : — 

(1.) " Be frugal ; save every thing that can be 
saved honestly. (2.) Spend no more than you 
receive. Contract no debts. (3.) Have no 
long accounts. Pay every thing within the 
week. (4.) Give none that ask relief either an 
ill word or an ill look. Do not hurt them if you 
cannot help them. (5.) Expect no thanks from 
man." 

4. Another important duty of stewards (one 
that is assigned to no other officer of the 
Church) is, " to tell the preachers what they 
think wrong in them ; " or, to use the language 
of Mr. Wesley, to tell them " in love, if they 
think any thing amiss, either in their doctrine 
or life." — Works, vol. v, p. 186. 

5. "To attend the quarterly meetings of the 



60 Helps to Official Members. 

circuit, and the leaders and stewards' meetings ; 
to give advice, if asked, in planning the circuit ; 
to attend committees for the application of 
money toChurches ; to give conusel in matters 
of arbitration ; to provide the elements for the 
Lord's Supper," etc., etc. — Discipline, ^f 193. 

To do all this work efficiently stewards need 
to be " men of solid piety, who both know and 
love the Methodist doctrine and discipline, 
and of good natural and acquired abilities to 
transact the temporal business." — Discipline, 

f i 9 i. 

Hence said Mr. Wesley to his stewards : — 
" 1. You are to be men full of the Holy Ghost 
and wisdom, that you may do all things in a 
manner acceptable unto God. 2. You are to 
begin and end every meeting with earnest 
prayer to God for a blessing on all your under- 
takings. 3. You are to produce your accounts 
the first Tuesday in every month, that they may 
be transcribed into the ledger. 4. You are to 
consider whenever you meet, ' God is here.' 
Therefore, be serious ; utter no trifling word ; 
speak as in his presence, and to the glory of 
his great name. 5. In all debates you are to 
watch over your spirits, avoiding, as fire, all 
clamor and contention ; being swift to hear, 
slow to speak ; in honor every one preferring 



Of Stewards. 61 

another before himself. 6. If you cannot re- 
lieve, do not grieve the poor. Give them soft 
words, if nothing else. . . . Let them be glad to 
come, even though they should go empty away. 
Put yourselves in the place of every poor man, 
and deal with him as you would God should 
deal with you." — Works, vol. v, pp. 486, 487. 

Such is the work of our stewards, and such 
the spirit they need to execute it. It is in- 
tensely religious, though somewhat secular. 
Caring for the necessary expenses of the altar 
and the worship of God, often brings them in 
conflict with covetousness, and is, therefore, 
unpleasant, but it is indispensable. Somebody 
must do it or our altar fires will go out. Many 
have no ability, no tact ; they are not fit for it, 
could not do it if it were to save their souls. 
They are too timid, too slow. They have no 
influence. Others have special adaptation, and 
can perform the work under whatever embar- 
rassments. Let them have the office, whether 
male or female. We have some female leaders, 
and even preachers ; may we not have female 
stewards as well and be the gainers by it ? 

OF THE SUPPORT OF PREACHERS. 

Though it devolves on the Quarterly Confer- 
ence to determine the "amount necessary to 



62 Helps to Official Members. 

furnish a comfortable support to the preacher," 
(see Discipline, ^[ 349,) the stewards, being 
charged with raising the necessary supplies, 
have great influence over the question, to make 
the amount more or less. In the exuberance 
of their love, they may make it so much as to em- 
barrass themselves and the people too ; or, under 
other influences, they may make it so small as 
to impress the preacher that he is not appreci- 
ated and not wanted. In settling this question, 
stewards, and, indeed, all the members of the 
Quarterly Conference, should remember that 
this is a point upon which a modest preacher, 
especially if a stranger, as is generally the case, 
cannot express all that he thinks and feels. 
The least indication from him that he is seek- 
ing for money will injure his influence. How- 
ever needy, therefore, he will feel compelled to 
say but little. They should also remember that 
a lower estimate than his necessities or the cir- 
cumstances of the people require shows " sharp 
practice," and will be likely to discourage and 
disqualify him for the best service of which he 
is capable. Ministers can live on short allow- 
ance, and be efficient where it is necessary ; but 
when required to do so to gratify the avarice of 
their officials, they must be more than human 
not to be oppressed by it. 



Of Stewards. 63 

We knew a case in point several years 
since. A young minister ventured to get mar- 
ried at the end of his third year, and was sent 
to a Church of more than ordinary wealth. The 
Quarterly Conference, otherwise the stewards, 
took advantage of that circumstance, as the Dis- 
cipline then permitted, and allowed him no 
quarterage for his wife. They hired him rooms 
in an old out-of-the-way house, that had stood 
the storms of one hundred years at least, to save 
rent, and figured down the other expenses on 
the most economical scale, and, to cap the 
climax, they required him to keep a faithful ac- 
count of any little presents he should receive, 
that they might be charged against him in the 
settlement. 

But in guarding against such economy (?) in 
the estimate, we would not be understood to 
encourage excess. The sentiment involved in 
the prayer of Hagar is not inappropriate to 
ministers. (Prov. xxx, 8, 9.) They generally 
do best when kept about midway between pov- 
erty and riches, so that they may have enough 
to meet their reasonable expenses, and contrib- 
ute to all the charities they shall urge upon the 
people without going in debt, and without so- 
licitude, or any necessity for personal specula- 
tions. 



64 Helps to Official Members. 



OF TRAVELING EXPENSES. 

The first duty of the stewards on receiving a 
new preacher is to pay his traveling and mov- 
ing expenses in coming to them. It often hap- 
pens that preachers have to borrow the money 
to get to their new charge. This should be 
paid without delay. It has nothing to do with 
the forthcoming estimate or salary. It is sim- 
ply so much money paid out by him, and should 
be refunded immediately. This ought to be 
provided for in advance. 

OF PRESENTS. 

If you or the people carry the preacher any- 
thing, whether food, fuel, or clothing, which he 
has not ordered or agreed to purchase, never 
charge it against his salary, or credit it on any 
one's subscription. Call all such contributions 
presents, and not sales, and never mention them 
in paying subscriptions, or figuring up ex- 
penses. 

But if the preacher purchases any of these 
things of his people on account of their sub- 
scriptions, let him give them a receipt for the 
purchase price of them, to be credited on ac- 
count, and let that receipt be immediately de- 
livered to the treasurer, the same as so much 



Of Stewards. 65 

money in the usual way of payment, whether by 
the leaders, collectors, or through envelopes. 

Looking at the whole subject in the light of 
considerable experience, we deem the following 
propositions worthy of careful consideration : — 

I. STEWARDS MUST DEAL FAIRLY. 

They well know the object of their appoint- 
ment. If there are reasons why they cannot 
conscientiously do the work they should resign. 
Or, if they have prejudices which they cannot, 
or will not, conquer, and that will neutralize 
their energy, it is better for them to vacate. 
Like some other offices, the stewardship is pow- 
erful for evil as well as good, and has sometimes 
sacrificed what it is intended to protect. Take 
the following case as an illustration : — 

Mr. A. was a leading steward, and had set- 
tled opinions in regard to the next preacher, 
asking for one whom he knew could not be ap- 
pointed without a flagrant violation of our itin- 
erant arrangements, and predicting the destruc- 
tion of the Society if his wishes were denied. 
They could not be granted, of course, and a 
stranger was sent. Mr. A. was delegated by 
the Society to make the collections, and pay 
all expenses as they accrued. But, hoping to 
bring his prediction to pass, and punish the 



66 Helps to Official Members. 

bishops for their impudence in non-compliance 
with his independent predilections, he asked for 
no money, and paid none for three or four 
months, when the pastor, to expose the plot, 
requested the Church to excuse him from fur- 
ther service, basing his request on the ground 
of their incompetence to support a married 
preacher. This brought Mr. A. to give an ac- 
count of his stewardship, and revealed the fact 
that he had asked no man for a dollar, and had 
not paid the preacher one cent. To settle the 
question of competence, before voting on the 
subject an indignant Church ordered a paper 
to be laid upon the table, and requested every- 
one to subscribe what he would give. Nearly 
the whole amount was put down in a few min- 
utes, and, of course, the pastor remained. But, 
fortunately, that steward never recovered from 
his disgrace, and had the mortification of seeing 
that one Church multiply into five stronger 
ones, almost in sight of its unimposing location, 
to say nothing of others in the suburbs. 

Now, this is what we call dishonest. Here 
was a steward, holding an office designed to 
subserve and promote the Church, who used it, 
in obedience to his prejudices, for quite another 
purpose. This was a wicked betrayal of trust. 
When he found that he could not consistently 



Of Stewards, 67 

discharge the duties of the office, he should 
have stepped aside and given place to another 
man. Holding office to defeat the known ob- 
jects of it is sheer knavery, whether in the 
Church or out of it. 

2. THEY SHOULD BE IMPARTIAL. 

In close connection with prejudice lies , par- 
tiality, and both are intimately related to hon- 
esty. Stewards are sometimes misguided by 
love, as well as by the want of it. They are 
active in supporting a favorite preacher, seek 
to get him a liberal estimate, and then to pay 
it promptly, besides giving him many pres- 
ents and honorable recognitions. But having 
one to whom they feel less attached, they talk 
of hard times, economy, restriction, etc., showing 
that they are not governed by principle, but by 
feeling. The result is, one minister is surfeited 
with attentions, and another is disheartened for 
the want of them. And what aggravates some 
such cases is, that the cruel prejudice involved 
is the result of ministerial integrity, restraining 
the stewards or others from improper practices, 
while the love involved is equally undeserved, 
arising from the frivolity and worldliness of the 
preacher who enjoys its benefactions. Great 
injustice is often experienced in these matters, 



68 Helps to Official Members. 

and it may not always be in the power of stew- 
ards to prevent it. 

3. PUNISHMENT IS NO PART OF A STEWARD^ 

DUTY. 

The point we wish to emphasize here is, that 
it is no part of a steward's duty to punish his 
minister, however faulty. He may tell him in 
kindness what he thinks wrong in him, but 
should not punish him by withholding his pay, 
or neglecting the proper means to secure it, 
should he happen to differ with him in opinion. 
Nor is it his province to do this even if he 
should commit a crime against God. In this 
case it would become his duty to report him to 
the presiding elder, who would call him to ac- 
count before his peers. He certainly ought not 
to take judgment into his own hands and punish 
him without judge or jury by withholding his 
support. 

But we do not mean to insinuate that it may 
never be proper for Church officials, in their as- 
sociate capacity, to withhold ministerial claims. 
We believe that circumstances may occur to 
justify this extreme method of correcting mani- 
fest wrongs, but it should not be adopted until 
all milder means have been exhausted. 

And, while speaking of paying ministers', it 



Of Stewards, 69 

may not be amiss to mention those who are oc- 
casionally employed as supplies for one service 
or more. Now, that compensation for such 
labor is customary in certain sections, and es- 
pecially if your Church has practically indorsed 
it ; but if, for some reason you desire a brother to 
preach for you gratuitously, and pay his own 
traveling expenses, you should so inform him at 
the outset. For, if he knows that you have 
paid others for similar service, and especially if 
you promise to pay him, and fail to do so, even 
to the amount of his fares, may throw a shade 
of suspicion over his mind that you are not 
entirely honorable, and possibly, that you are 
hardly honest. A good reputation is sometimes 
very useful to a Church, as well as to an indi- 
vidual ; and it is never best to hurt the feelings 
of a brother when you can avoid it. No amount 
of flattery can fully compensate for such indis- 
cretions, especially in a Church that is able, 
and deals liberally with its pastor in the way of 
presents and vacations. The golden rule fur- 
nishes a safe guide in this case, as in most 
others. (See Discipline, W 353, 354.) 



70 Helps to Official Members. 

3. stewards should deal fairly with the 

POOR. 

It is easier to give to some people than to 
others of equal merit. All almoners of the 
Church's bounty need to guard against the er- 
rors here suggested. Stewards in following 
their sober judgment will often be obliged to act 
against their feelings. They hold a tender trust, 
involving much labor and embarrassment, but it 
is one of high importance to the Church. Meth- 
odists were distinguished at the first by their 
sympathy for the poor. The " Holy Club " at 
Oxford began their missionary work in prisons, 
almshouses, barracks, and other places most neg- 
lected. The first Methodist preacher in Austra- 
lia was an Irish convict, converted to God while 
waiting for execution, but afterward banished 
to that country. Our Church wealth has largely 
come from labors for the poor. Stewards who 
ply their official vocation among this class of 
people lay up treasure for Methodism on earth, 
as well as for themselves in heaven. They at 
once come under the best promises of the God 
of both Testaments. If Methodism ever dies 
it will be by turning away from this work. The 
stewards, therefore, have a most important trust. 
God help them to honor it ! 



Of Stewards. yi 



4. THE SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL DUTIES OF 
STEWARDS ARE IMPERATIVE. 

They should not dream that their work is 
limited to feeding the hungry and clothing the 
naked. There are other poor — multitudes of 
them, strangers and foreigners, who ask not 
alms, but recognition, acquaintance, sympathy, 
respect. They want to know that they are loved. 
They ask your hand, a kind look, a friendly 
word, and they will reward it all. Long years 
ago we approached a youth, a child of the sea, 
in his tarpaulin, surrounded with sin, and 
whispered words of hope and kindness in his 
ear and took him into the church. We have often 
thought of our first sight of him, and of what 
followed, and wished that we might hear some- 
thing more of his history. A few months since 
he approached us, a venerable looking gentle- 
man, a man of wealth, a Christian, and a Meth- 
odist. God has tens of thousands of such un- 
fortunates awaiting our smile and friendly 
embrace. 

Many of our Churches are poor. Trustees 
and stewards have a hard struggle to pay ex- 
penses. They long for the coming of a few 
rich members, or for a mine to open at their feet. 
Here they have both. The poor are our in- 



72 Helps to Official Members. 

heritance. If properly cultivated, they will 
furnish us men and means for all time to come. 
The writer has had the honor of advising in the 
construction of two wills disposing of nearly 
two millions of dollars, the honest earnings of 
two lone orphans, converted to God and Meth- 
odism in their poverty. And this amount was 
only what was left, after disbursing hundreds of 
thousands of dollars to other objects. 

5. STEWARDS SHOULD BE HEROIC. 

It is important, though not, perhaps, wonder- 
ful, that they sometimes get in the way of com- 
plaining, pleading poverty, and preaching un- 
belief, thinking, probably, that it will improve 
the collections. But this is a miserable way of 
begging. We never knew a church to thrive 
on official whining. Most Churches have a few 
members of this stripe, and, however uninfluen- 
tial, their moanings are distressing. They are 
always prophesying evil. They live, and move, 
and have their being in " Lamentations." Pious 
worrying is chronic with them. 

But this will not do for stewards. They 
must keep sunny and hopeful, have faith in 
God for all reasonable attainments. No de- 
sponding man can be efficient. Heroism is in- 
spiring. 



Of Stewards, 73 

The writer's first attempt at begging was un- 
dertaken in the interest of trustees who cov- 
eted death, and expected to be buried in a few 
months. When he attempted to cheer the 
treasurer of the board, and told him he would pay 
the debt, the idea seemed so ridiculous that he 
nearly insulted him, which only sent a thrill of 
purpose through his young soul to do it. In a few 
weeks he had the money in his pocket, canceled 
the bond and delivered it to the disconsolate 
official, who could hardly believe his own eyes. 

Stewards may be blamed, but they must never 
be disheartened. If one project fails, let them 
try another. If Church members are poor or 
stingy, go to the world. Go to them any way, 
and show them what the Church is doing for 
them in educating their children, protecting 
their property, and enhancing its value. If you 
don't succeed, send your wife, or some one else. 
Let all the people understand that you are alive, 
and in earnest, and "mean business." There 
is an honest way to every man's heart and 
pocket. It is the business of stewards to find 
it and enter. You will often need something 
of the spirit of David when u he moved " on Go- 
liath, and you will have it if you believe that you 
are working for God, and look to him for guid- 
ance, and success, 



74 Helps to Official Members. 

Heroism is nearly as necessary in taking a 
plate collection as in soliciting subscriptions. 
We are not surprised that so little is obtained 
in some congregations in this way. It is not 
difficult to see that the collector is ashamed of 
his business. He goes hurrying from pew to 
pew, presenting his plate to but now and then 
an individual, as much as to say that he 
expects nothing from most of them ; where- 
as he should place it squarely before each 
one, and let all understand that the collec- 
tion is a legitimate part of the worship and 
must be treated with respect. A little prac- 
tice of this kind will soon bring a penny, at 
least, from every w T orshiper, and improve your 
finances. 

6. STEWARDS SHOULD ACT RELIGIOUSLY. 

Financial duties are as religious as preaching, 
and should be prosecuted with prayer. Peter 
was as true to Christ when he went a fishing 
to get money to pay taxes, as when he "lifted 
up his voice" on the day of Pentecost, (Matt, xvii, 
27.) Stewards often fail because they let down 
the standard of piety the moment they begin to 
talk of money, and sometimes crack a joke 
when they should urge a duty and a privilege. 
If they would ask men to give, as they ask 



Of Stewards. 75 

them to repent, solemnly, religiously, and with- 
out compromising their own integrity or that of 
the Church, they would seldom fail when the ex- 
penses are not unreasonably out of proportion 
to the population. Where they are so they 
should be reduced at the earliest possible mo- 
ment, that there may be no necessity for betray- 
ing Christ into the hands of sinners to meet them. 

7. STEWARDS SHOULD ALSO SET AN EXAMPLE 
OF NOBLE LIBERALITY. 

No contracted, covetous man ought to be 
allowed in this office, for the reason that his 
talk and example will embarrass its objects, 
more than his contributions and eloquence will 
help them. The masses naturally follow the 
leaders, especially if they go in the direction of 
covetousness. A close, whining, desponding 
steward is a curse to any Church, especially if 
he is rich. Methodism has had a few of that 
sort, most of whom have finished their econo- 
mizing career. We have known several who 
have erred in the other direction ; they gave 
too much, rather than ask others to give. The 
true policy is to have all, saints and sinners, 
from the youngest child in Sunday-school to 
the oldest and poorest widow, give a little, give 
what they can afford. They will feel the better 



j6 Helps to Official Members. 

for it, and it will train them to the habit of giv- 
ing and make easier work for the generations 
to come. Besides, " many hands make light 
work," and supersede the necessity of ringing 
the changes every Sabbath about money. 

Finally y as to the best plan of procedure to ob- 
tain contributions, we must speak with some 
degree of caution. Circumstances alter cases. 
We have no doubt that many Churches are em- 
barrassed simply for the want of a wise plan. 
When the expenses are to be met by renting 
pews the difficulty is less, though often enhanced 
by neglect in making the collections. In most 
places pew rent should be collected in monthly 
installments, first, because it is easier to pay it 
in that way, and, secondly, because it will en- 
able the trustees, or stewards, as the case may 
be, to pay the preacher and other creditors 
monthly. It is ruinous to a Church to be lax in 
its payments. No preacher wants to be its 
pastor to run in debt for food and fuel, and thus 
dishonor himself and his people, and few can 
prevent doing so unless they get their salary 
monthly. It is hard work to sustain a Church 
that has acquired a bad name in the commu- 
nity, and this arises more frequently from im- 
proper financiering than from poverty. 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 77 



CHAPTER V. 

METHODS OF MEETING CURRENT EXPENSES. 

THE too common plan of taking annual sub- 
scriptions usually fails to secure the amount 
needed, and necessitates extra efforts to make 
up the deficiency. Another defect of this plan 
is, it often leaves the time and mode of payment 
optional with each subscriber, which is a pretty 
sure guarantee that the money will not be pro- 
duced in season to meet the demands of the 
cause. Therefore in going to a new charge 
many years ago, which had pursued this course, 
and was always behind in its payments, the 
preacher projected 

A FINANCIAL PLAN, 

which has since been adopted by many Socie- 
ties to their great advantage. It was substan- 
tially as follows :- — * 

1. That the officials, embracing the trustees, 
stewards, and leaders, should make a liberal esti- 
mate of the amount necessary to pay all the 
expenses of the year, covering every thing, 
salaries, interest, insurance, repairs, etc. 

2. That they should then estimate their reg- 



78 Helps to Official Members. 

ular income from pews, collections, etc., which 
being deducted from the estimated expenses 
would show the amount to be provided for, as 
per the following example, modified to repre- 
sent existing necessities :— 

Pastor's Salary $1,000 oo 

Rent of Parsonage 200 00 

Furniture for Parsonage 60 00 

For the Poor of the Church 200 00 

For Sacramental Purposes 15 00 

Presiding Elder's Allowance 50 00 

Assessment for the Bishops 50 00 

Sexton 150 00 

Water Rent 10 00 

Insurance on Church 40 00 

Interest on the Debt , 150 00 

Reduction of Debt 200 00 

Light and Fuel 150 00 

Repairs 75 00 

For Incidentals and Shrinkages 300 00 

Total Expenses $2,650 00 

PROSPECTIVE INCOME. 

From Collections $250 00 

From Pew Rents and Taxes 500 00 

Total $750 00 

Total amount to be supplied. . . ."* $1,900 00 

3. The third suggestion was that a large 
committee of thirty or forty persons be appointed 
in the public congregation, embracing church 
members and others, who should meet together 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 79 

and apportion among the regular attendants 
the whole sum required, according to their best 
judgment. 

4. That said committee should then notify 
each individual named in the apportionment 
what they had done, by a circular reading nearly 
as follows :« — 

• Dear Sir: The Committee appointed to 
apportion the amount necessary for the support 

of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 

the present year among its members and the 
congregation, have concluded, after due deliber- 
ation, that you can afford and will be willing to 

pay the sum of dollars. If you acquiesce 

in this conclusion you will please to pay the 
same in monthly installments, inclosing the 
amount in an envelope, writing your name, with 
the amount inclosed, upon the outside, and de- 
positing the same in the basket or box on the 
first Sabbath in each month, when it will be 
passed around in the church to receive these 
monthly payments. If you demur at the ap- 
portionment you will please inform A. B., our 
treasurer, immediately, stating to him what 
amount you will pay in the mariner aforesaid. 
Yours truly, for the committee, 

C. D., Secretary. 



8o 



Helps to Official Members. 



The plan was then carried into effect imme- 
diately, and but one man demurred at the ap- 
portionment. It embraced every body belong- 
ing to the congregation who was able to give 
from five cents to ten dollars per month. The 
more able and liberal members paid less than 
formerly, and the less liberal a little more. 
They had always claimed to be willing to " do 
their part," but had seldom failed to underesti- 
mate themselves. Now that they had the judg- 
ment of a large and wise committee, they cheer- 
fully acquiesced in it. Many members paid 
small sums, all that was asked, and felt a degree 
of respectability and importance that they had 
never enjoyed. It was still a greater blessing 
to the outsiders, and brought them a little near- 
er to the Church and to Christ. 

Having reached this point, the preacher pre- 
pared a simple plan of book-keeping, which only 
required the treasurer to write the figures rep- 
resenting the amount inclosed in each envelope 
from month to month, as follows : — 



SUBSCRIPTIONS AND RECEIPTS. 



SuBSCBIBEKS. 



Ames, John . . 
-Antrim, Mary . 
Axtel. Amos. . 



?! 

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Monthly Payments. 










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ft, 
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48 00 


4 00 


4 00 


8 00 




4 00 


2 00 


6 00 


4 00 


6 00 


8 00 


1 00 


1 00 


60 


05 


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1 00 


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48 00 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 8 1 

The subscribers' names, with the amount of 
their annual subscriptions and monthly pay- 
ments, being thus alphabetically entered in the 
treasurer's book, he could see in a moment.who 
were in arrears, and by running up the pay- 
ments of each month could tell the sum total 
received. Another part of the arrangement re- 
quired that delinquents should be promptly vis- 
ited. And to be able to verify his accounts, 
should they be questioned, the treasurer kept 
the envelopes to the end of the year. 

The plan also embraced the opening of a new 
ledger, as follows : — 

E. D., Treasurer, in Account with M. E. Church. 

May 5. Received from envelopes $230 05 

" " Received from Collections, loose. . 5 70 

May 6. Paid Pastor $83 34 

" " Paid Sexton 1667 

" " Paid for Oil 800 

This account may be kept on one page, or 
the receipts may be entered on the right hand 
page and the payments on the left, which will 
give room for more particularity, and be less 
liable to mistakes. 

After this it only remained for the pastor to 
announce the collection, and the stewards to 
take it. The result was, the treasurer immedi- 
ately had money to pay every demand monthly, 
6 



82 Helps to Official Members. 

The first year was closed out of debt for current 
expenses, and with money in the treasury. The 
second year ended in like manner, without mak- 
ing the least extra effort. 

We have encountered many plans since, but 
have found none better. It makes no differ- 
ence whether the legal responsibility of paying 
the bills rests on the trustees or stewards, 
whether the regular income from rents, collec- 
tions, etc., is one quarter, one half, or three 
quarters of the sum needed, this is an easy and 
equitable way of providing for the deficiency on 
the start, and it generally supersedes the neces- 
sity of extraneous and harassing exertions to 
raise supplies. 

It has the advantage, too, of interesting the 
whole congregation. It makes every one feel 
that he belongs to the concern, and justly proud 
in hearing the annual report, that we — not the 
trustees or stewards merely, but we — have done 
so nobly. 

Another advantage of it is, it takes the cur- 
rent expenses out of the way of our benevo- 
lences. Officials cannot feel free to make much 
of an effort for benevolent collections while they 
are sadly in arrears for current expenses. Nor 
can the people be very liberal toward outside 
interests while they are groaning under a late 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 83 

galvanic operation to raise money to pay the 
preacher, or while they anticipate something of 
the sort to make up deficiencies. 

We might add, it obviates one of the most 
mortifying circumstances connected with the 
presiding eldership, namely, the collection. By 
bringing his claim into the general expense, and 
providing for it as you do for the other expenses, 
that is, by obtaining a trifle from each individ- 
ual member and friend in the manner proposed, 
nobody feels it, and this officer is spared the 
humiliation of witnessing a public drill to collect 
his allowance, or of receiving it from the scanty 
pocket of the preacher. In a word, the plan has 
been generally adopted in some parts of the 
Church, and is justifying all we have said in its 
favor. 

A LATER METHOD SUGGESTED. 

A modification of the foregoing arrangement 
has been lately adopted by a new Society, which 
seemed quite unable to pay its expenses. Hav- 
ing only a small congregation, it waived the 
apportionment, and circulated cards asking the 
people to subscribe the amount they would pay 
for the year in weekly installments. We insert 
a copy of the card, for the benefit of any who 
may be disposed to adopt it, as follows : — 



84 Helps to Official Members. 
Methodist Episcopal Church, 

New York. 

About $4,000 is required yearly from this Church for the 
support and spread of the Gospel. This is needed to meet 
the claims of the Pastor and Presiding Elder, to pay for 
house rent and furniture, interest, insurance, and sexton; to 
furnish coal, light, etc. 

Each member of the congregation is expected to do his 
part in this work, as God shall give ability. You will please, 
therefore, fill the blanks in the following pledge and put it on 
the plate : 

, 1875. 

Until May 1st, 1876, / agree to pay for the support of the 

M. E. Church Dollar Cents per week, 

payable at the Church on each Sabbath, 

Name 

Residence 

These cards were placed in the pews, and are 
there now, to be read by all comers. As they 
were filled out they were put on the plates, and 
thus passed into the hands of the treasurer. 
The sums subscribed ranged from one cent to 
five dollars, there being only one card contain- 
ing the last amount named. Each of the sub- 
scribers was immediately furnished with fifty- 
two little cheap envelopes, one for each Sabbath, 
and requested to inclose his subscription, write 
his name on the envelope, and put it in the 
basket. Nearly all the children subscribed, and 
became so interested in the preparation of their 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 85 

envelopes, that their parents could not easily 
forget their own. The result was astonishing. 
The subscriptions were numerous, the money 
was forthcoming, and the officers knew every 
week just how they stood. The first report was 
particularly interesting. 

Where the pews are free, weekly payments 
will probably prove most successful. But for 
permanent congregations, whether in the city 
or out, we favor the apportioning plan — 

1. Because many will subscribe nothing, being 
too proud to write a small sum. 

2. Because some, being covetous, will write 
less than they ought. 

3. Because a few will write more than they 
can afford, and never pay it. 

4. Because, if done kindly and prudently it 
will give better satisfaction. Most men would 
rather pay fifty cents per week, knowing that 
to be their full proportion, than half the amount 
and be reproached for not paying more. 

The beauty of these schemes is seen — 

1. In that they provide for the annual expenses 
at the commencement of the year. 

2. In that they conveniently furnish the 
money to meet them as they accrue. 

3. In that they prevent the necessity of hard 
and frequent begging in the congregation, which 



86 Helps to Official Members. 

cannot fail to keep some people, both rich and 
poor, away from the house of God. 

4. In that they supersede the necessity of fes- 
tivals, concerts, and dramatic exhibitions, which, 
defend them as we may, are most damaging to 
the spiritual interest of the Church. 

The Roman Catholics fell from grace by 
establishing theaters, lotteries, balls, festivals, 
shows, etc., to raise money to meet expenses. 
No Church, however holy, can cater to the world 
in this manner and retain its spiritual power. 

But there is no need of doing this. If our 
Church officers will take a firm stand, adopt 
some sensible plan of finance, and resign sooner 
than resort to worldly tricks and amusements 
to obtain funds, they will have no lack ; and 
sinners are too clear sighted to follow profess- 
ors of religion for spiritual benefit who are no 
better than themselves. If they are about to 
die, and desire advice and prayers, they will not 
send for the man whom they met at the last 
pleasure party, though he may be a steward or 
leader. One of the first demands of Christ is, 
that we come out from the world and be sepa- 
rate. We believe most Methodists deprecate 
our tendency to worldly complications, and only 
tolerate them from what seems to be sheer neces- 
sity. In our opinion this necessity is fictitious, 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 87 

and would generally vanish before a proper 
financial policy. 

A POSSIBLE OBJECTION. 

It may be objected that these plans are not 
adapted to circuits embracing several congre- 
gations, however appropriate to stations. So it 
may appear at the first glance, but is it true in 
fact ? Suppose there are five congregations in 
a circuit, we would suggest that the Quarterly 
Conference, composed of representatives from 
each, determine how much is needed in the man- 
ner before indicated, and then apportion it to 
each of the congregations, according to their 
several ability. This done, the local officers of 
each may add to the apportionment so much as 
is necessary for strictly local purposes, and then 
proceed to secure the whole by one of the plans 
named, as they may judge most appropriate, to 
be paid weekly or monthly, in envelopes, at some 
one regular preaching service whenever held. 
And we see no reason why these same plans 
may not be extended to isolated classes, in 
which case the envelopes may be handed to the 
leader instead of being deposited in the box. 
This will secure a weekly or monthly payment, 
and overcome the prevailing tendency to post- 
pone till the close of the year. 



88 Helps to Official Members. 

In officially visiting an appointment several 
years since, embracing a number of classes 
within five miles of the church, the pastor 
informed me that he was distressed for the 
want of money, and that "if he were to receive 
a letter informing him of his own mother's 
death, he could not pay the postage on it." 
Knowing the people, I was not disappointed, and 
told him I would bring up the subject in the 
Quarterly Conference, and wanted him to state 
just what he had said to me. He did so, when 
I proposed a little plan to be carried out in the 
several classes immediately, which brought de- 
liverance the next Sabbath. Calling at his house 
on Monday morning to learn the result, he soon 
entered, exclaiming to his wife, with manifest 
rapture, " I am a happy man ; I have paid all my 
debts, and have fifty dollars in my pocket." 

The embarrassment that good man had suf- 
fered was intense, and it was all unnecessary. The 
people were able to supply his wants, and in- 
tended to do it, but they had no effective plan of 
operation. Either of the methods suggested 
would have done it promptly, and paying in small 
sums the people would not have felt it. The 
poorest of them would have paid ten cents a 
week, though it might have shocked them to 
think of giving five dollars at one time. 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 89 

Romanists are wiser than Protestants in this 
respect. They build their splendid churches 
and cathedrals, support their schools and other 
costly institutions, by these little weekly collec- 
tions. They do not get all they want nor all 
they ask, hut they get something from every 
one weekly \ and they begin to make collections 
for their churches long before they lay their 
foundations, and work on as fast as they get the 
means to pay the bills. Here lies their finan- 
cial strength. Though we have not the same 
power over our people that they have over theirs, 
we have enough influence to collect all that we 
really need. 

THE SCHEME AN ANCIENT ONE. 

We may add, this plan is apostolic. " Upon the 
first day of the week," says St. Paul, "let every 
one of you lay by him in store, as God hath pros- 
pered him, that there be no gatherings when I 
come." (1 Cor. xvi, 2.) He wanted the giving 
done on principle, and not under excitement ; 
and by system, that it might not interfere with 
his special, spiritual mission. And so does 
every presiding elder and minister, and it is best 
for all concerned that it should be so. 



90 Helps to Official Members. 

on class collections. 

Collections through the classes are of long 
standing, and may be most appropriate in 
some cases. But even where these are preferred, 
we should advise the apportionment, or card 
system, recommended, with weekly or monthly 
payments. " Notes on demand are never due." 
The Quarterly Conference, or board, having 
decided how much each class ought to raise, let 
the leader divide it among his members, asking 
them to pay in weekly installments, or let him 
give each a card of the kind before mentioned 
and get their subscriptions. If they do not at- 
tend class, let him visit them, or have some one 
do so, or send them a card by mail, any way to 
have the matter settled at once. 

The objection to class collections is, it limits 
the giving to the Church. But this can be ob- 
viated by sending the cards or apportionment 
and the envelope to outsiders, who will help if 
properly approached. The cause demands 
courage, faith, and work, and with these appli- 
ances it cannot fail. 

THESE VIEWS CONFIRMED. 

Since writing the above we have received an 
excellent letter from Rev. M. D. Collins, presid- 



Methods of Meeting Current Expenses. 91 

ing elder of Boonsborough District, Des Moines 
Conference, confirmatory of nearly every point. 
He justly emphasizes the importance of a thor- 
ough organization of the stewards, by the elec- 
tion of a president, secretary, and treasurer 
at the commencement of the year ; that they 
meet once a month at least ; keep a faithful 
record of their proceedings and accounts, and 
urges all parties to a vigorous discharge of their 
duties, on the best plan they can devise. He 
says, " The wise men of Gotham did not com- 
mit a worse folly when they went to sea in a 
bowl, than Stewards do when they set out on a 
year's work without a plan!' 



92 Helps to Official Members. 



T 



CHAPTER VI. 

OF CLASS LEADERS. 

THEIR DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS. 

HE office of class leader, like most of the pe- 
culiarities of Methodism, was providentially 
suggested. " I was talking," says Mr. Wesley, 
"with several of the Society at Bristol concern- 
ing the means of paying the debts there, when 
one stood up and said, ' Let every member of the 
Society give a penny a week till all is paid. 
Another answered, ' But many are poor, and can- 
not afford to do it/ ' Then/ said he, ' put eleven 
of the poorest with me, and if they cannot give 
any thing, well, I will call on them weekly, and 
if they can give nothing, I will give for them as 
well as for myself. And each of you can call 
on eleven of your neighbors weekly ; receive 
what they give, and make up what is wanting.' 
It was done." 

Thus, the office was originally established as 
a financial measure. But in carrying it into 
effect these collectors discovered that some 
members of the Society did not live as they 
ought. " It struck me immediately," says Mr. 
Wesley, "this is the thing, the very thing we 



Of Class Leaders. 93 

have wanted so long." He, therefore, called on 
all the collectors, and requested each to make 
particular " inquiry into the behavior of those 
whom they saw weekly. They did so. Many 
disorderly walkers were detected. Some turned 
from the evil of their ways. Some were put 
away from us. Many saw it with fear, and re- 
joiced unto God with reverence." (Wesley s 
Works , vol. vii, pp. 316, 350.) 

Thus the office came to embrace spiritual 
and pastoral functions as well as financial, 
which soon led to the weekly meeting of the 
members for religious conversation and prayer, 
and finally to ministerial and governmental 
responsibilities. With us it is the duty of a 
leader, 

" I. To see each person in his class once a 
week at least ; in order, 1. To inquire how 
their souls prosper. 2. To advise, reprove, 
comfort, or exhort, as occasion may require. 
3. To receive what they are willing to give 
toward the relief of the preachers, Church, and 
poor. 

" II. To meet the ministers and the stewards 
of the Society once a week ; in order, 1. To in- 
form the minister of any that are sick, or of any 
that walk disorderly, and will not be reproved. 
2. To pay the stewards what they have received 



94 Helps to Official Members. 

of their several classes in the week preceding/' 
{Discipline, % 30.) 

It is the duty of a leader also to watch over 
the members of his class, not only to see how 
they outwardly observe the rules of the Church, 
but how they grow " in the knowledge and love 
of God." And that his labors may be effective 
he is required to converse frequently and freely 
with his pastor, and to report the condition of 
his class at each meeting of the Quarterly Con- 
ference. {Discipline, ^[ 57.) 

The high responsibility of leaders is further 
indicated by the facts that they are members 
of the Quarterly Conference, and of the lead- 
ers and stewards' meeting, which have govern- 
mental control over all the affairs of the Church, 
both temporal and spiritual. Besides, no one 
can be admitted into full connection in the 
Church, except on their recommendation. {Dis- 
cipline, TT 93, 175.) 

In view of their financial trusts, Mr. Southey 
calls them tax-gatherers, and compares them to 
non-commissioned officers in the army, and 
pronounces our " spiritual policy perfect," in 
view of the wonderful adaptation of this office 
to its grand purposes. Bishops Coke and As- 
bury declare in their notes on the Discipline, 
" every leader is in some degree a gospel minis-- 



Of Class Leaders. 95 

ter. The revival of the work of God does, per- 
haps, depend as much upon the whole body of 
the leaders as it does upon the whole body of 
the preachers." As they are sub-pastors under 
the preacher in charge to watch over and feed 
that part of his flock committed to their care, it 
is reasonable that he should appoint and advise 
them, and also to dismiss them when they prove 
themselves unfaithful or incompetent. {Emory s 
Hist of Dis. y p. 380.) 

OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. 

In view of the duties and responsibilities in- 
volved, it is not difficult to perceive that class 
leaders need to possess many excellences of 
character. 

1. They should be men of manifest integrity. 
In contributing, many people desire to know 
that what they contribute will go to the object 
for which it is given. They will not readily 
respond to any call, however urgent, where they 
have reason to distrust the integrity of the solic- 
itor. In the financial department of a leader's 
duties, he ought to hold himself above sus- 
picion, by making full and prompt returns to 
the stewards. In these days of defalcation, 
good men cannot be too careful in the manage- 
ment of finances. 



g6 Helps to Official Members. 

2. They should be prompt. A laggard will 
never make a useful leader. Leaders should 
never miss a meeting without furnishing a sub- 
stitute, or fail to open and close one at the time 
proposed. Members will soon learn to be tardy 
if the leader is so, and to stay away if he con- 
tinues the service beyond the ordinary time of 
dismission. 

They should be prompt, too, in looking after 
absentees. Many members have been lost to 
the Church, and, perhaps, to heaven itself, by 
leaders delaying to visit this class of their mem- 
bers. Becoming discouraged, or being neces- 
sarily detained by sickness or other means, and 
hearing nothing from the leader or the Church, 
they have concluded that they are not respected, 
and have sometimes fallen into sin, or gone to 
another Church that manifested interest in 
their welfare. If leaders cannot immediately 
visit delinquents, they ought to enlist some one 
else to do it, and show that they are alive to 
their responsibility. Or, if this is impractica- 
ble, they should write them kindly, and invite 
them to their next meeting. Mr. Farnell, an 
English leader who was much occupied with 
business, had a printed card which he used to 
send to all absentees in an envelope. It read 
as follows : — 



Of Class Leaders. 97 



Mr. Farnell's kind regards, and will be very happy 
to see you at class on Tuesday next, at eight 
o'clock in the evening, in No. I Vestry, Bold-st. 



On the opposite side was printed the signifi- 
cant invitation, " Come thou with us, and we 
will do thee good. ,, Num. x, 29. 

3. They should be exceedingly careful, also, 
of their moral deportment, avoiding the very 
appearance of evil. They are pastors and 
teachers in an important sense, and must set 
an example which it will be safe and profitable 
for others to follow. It is not enough for them 
to be moral and respectable according to the 
standards of the world, they must repudiate all 
doubtful associations and practices on every 
question, and place themselves above suspi- 
cion. Some very respectable leaders have 
injured their influence by too free and easy 
habits growing out of their other connections. 
Whether the practices involved are justifiable 
under some circumstances is not the ques- 
tion. Public sentiment, to say nothing of the 
word of God, condemns them in a religious 
teacher. 

Leaders who do not renounce the world, the 

flesh, and the devil, as they proposed to do when 

7 



98 Helps to Official Members. 

they joined the Church, cannot expect to suc- 
ceed. No class exercise can possibly create 
confidence in the sincerity of such leaders. 
They should be just as careful of their conduct 
as they require their minister to be of his, if 
they will have power with God and do good to 
men. They cannot afford to be imprudent 
men. 

4. They must be equally particular to main- 
tain a right spirit. The spirit of the world is 
light and trifling. It puts aside all considera- 
tions of death, judgment, and eternity, and courts 
fun and frolic. The spirit of religion is sober, 
not sad ; it is reflective and devout. Our opin- 
ions of men are formed as much by the spirit 
they manifest as by their conduct. Nobody 
can have confidence in a joking, frivolous 
leader. He shows clearly that he has no 
sense of God's presence, or any real communion 
with him. And his class, and even wicked men, 
will think, when they hear him talk about re- 
ligion, that the blind is attempting to lead the 
blind. " Watch and be sober," is God's com- 
mand to the children of light. A Christian 
teacher " must be blameless, vigilant, sober, of 
good behavior, not a brawler, not double- 
tongued, and have a good report of them which 
are without." All this is necessary to give him 



Of Class-Leaders. 99 

influence over those whom he would teach, and 
lead to heaven. 

All this is necessary to endow him for his du- 
ties. One cannot indulge in the evils suggested 
without feeling that he is " wanting!' He can- 
not have the witness of the Spirit that he is ac- 
cepted of God. " For this is the love of God, 
that we keep his commandments, and his com- 
mandments are not grievous." Nor can he 
feel deeply interested in the spiritual prosper- 
ity of his class. A leader, to be interesting, 
must be in Christ, and have Christ in him ; 
a well of water springing up into everlasting 
life. 

5. It is desirable, too, that leaders be well- 
informed as to the doctrines, practice, and ex- 
perience of religion. If they have been soundly 
converted, as the result of repentance toward 
God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, they 
know something of the highest importance, that 
can only be learned by experience. If they 
moved forward from that brilliant beginning, 
growing in grace, in the knowledge of the truth, 
and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, they 
know more that will wonderfully inspire and 
direct them in their work. 

A leader must understand God's plan of deal- 
ing with men, what he proposes to do for them, 



ioo Helps to Official Members. 

here and now, and on what conditions he will 
do it. His own experience, if clear and satis- 
factory, will help him on these points, as well 
as the word of God, and the experiences of 
others. He will need, however, to guard against 
mistakes, or he may stumble into legality on 
the one hand, requiring impossible works and 
feelings : or into looseness on the other, ac- 
counting professors dear children of God, though 
they live in actual sin. How difficult it is to 
teach faith and works in their proper places 
and proportions, so as to reap the conscious 
benefit of the atonement at once and go in 
peace. Christians often get badly befogged on 
these points, and drift about among the rocks 
and shoals of error and unbelief for days, and 
even weeks, and require a skillful leader to 
give them the right reckoning and restore them 
to their proper course. We remember with 
what avidity we used to run' to our first leader 
with the accumulated troubles of the week, and 
how they vanished under his skillful touch. 
One needs to be intimate with the heavenly 
Father, to read his word carefully and prayer- 
fully, and to talk much with Christians of ma- 
ture experience, in order to meet all the ques- 
tions that will be presented for solution by a 
thriving class. 



Of Class-Leaders. 101 

Leaders should also understand the devil and 
his wiles, the difference between temptation 
and sin, that the temporary absence of joy does 
not prove sin, and should not disturb faith in 
God, or confidence in his love to us, so long as 
we remain loyal to his commands. But they 
should not so apologize for darkness and stupid- 
ity as to make their members content without 
light. The normal condition of the Christian is 
that of " love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle- 
ness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. ,, 
Gal. v, 22. The loss of any one of these di- 
vine virtues should lead us to Jesus in prayer, 
till it be restored. It is no part of a leaders 
business to satisfy his members without the wit- 
ness of the Spirit, or without " being rooted and 
grounded in love," so as u to comprehend with 
all saints what is the breadth, and length, and 
depth, and height ; and to know the love of 
Christ, which passeth knowledge, and be filled 
with all the fullness of God." Eph. iii, 17-19. 
Yet he may find it necessary to comfort and 
encourage them under temptation before they 
reach this fullness, and even afterward. 

The flesh furnishes another branch of study 
for leaders in almost every sense in which the 
word can be properly used. It is the source of 
many evils that are often traced to other causes. 



102 Helps to Official Members. 

* They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh 
with the affections and lusts." Gal. v, 24. Still 
they are liable to be tempted and carried away 
from God. 

This is a dangerous point, as it is not always 
easy to perceive the exact line of demarkation 
between what is admissible and what not. In 
all questions of this sort our only safe course is 
to lean hard toward God, and give him the ben- 
efit of our doubt. That is, if abstinence is 
surely not wrong, and indulgence may be, we 
should abstain, for he that doubteth in such a 
case is condemned, because he takes the risk 
of becoming a transgressor. 

Leaders ought also to understand the world 
as well as the flesh and the devil. The natural 
man cleaves to it, covets its pleasures, honors, 
amusements, social advantages and approval, 
but this is all wrong. God's explicit command 
is, " Be not conformed to the world : but be ye 
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that 
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, 
and perfect will of God. ,, Rom. xii, 2. And 
knowing that there is no safety in social inter- 
mingling with sinners, he adds : " Come out 
from among them, and be ye separate, . . , and 
touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive 
you." 2 Cor. vi, 17. Leaders need all the wis- 



Of Class-Leaders. 103 

dom and grace they can command to keep their 
members from being overcome by this means. 
They should be fully armed with the word of 
God, which declares, " If any man lov^Jhe world, 
the love of the father is not in him." 1 John 
ii, 15. 

But it is not necessary to particularize. 
Leaders who read the Bible to get the mind of 
God, and our books bearing directly on the sub- 
jects of duty and experience, and put them- 
selves in the way of learning from others, can 
hardly fail to become masters. But those who 
have the best acquaintance with the Bible in 
its relations to human nature, will have the 
advantage of all others. This is a magazine 
of facts and thought that never fails to furnish 
something appropriate. 

Of human books, to assist leaders, one called 
" Seed Thought," arranged by the late Rev. Geo. 
Robinson, and published by Nelsqn & Phillips, 
is, in our opinion, among the best. It brings 
together a variety of Scriptures with observa- 
tions, by eminent men, on almost every point 
of interest, and marks numerous Scripture ex- 
amples of each topic. Besides, it indicates sev- 
eral hymns expressive of the sentiment under 
consideration, and saves time that may be lost 
in searching for one appropriate to be suiig. 



104 Helps to Official Members. 

In a word, any Christian man of fair natural 
abilities, who knows how to read, can express 
himself readily and respectably, and is ambitious 
to succeed, may do so, if he will keep his eyes 
and ears open to learn, and his heart warm with 
divine love. The facilities for acquiring knowl- 
edge and grace were never so great as at pres- 
ent. But then he must always be looking out 
to gather up something for his class, something 
to interest and help them, as a loving father is to 
benefit his family, or an earnest pastor to feed 
his flock. No one can excuse himself from this 
work on. account of ignorance, if he will only 
open his windows and let in the surrounding 
light. Failure oftener comes from stupidity and 
spiritual death than from ignorance. 

6. We must not fail to mention sympathy as 
another element of effectiveness in a leader. 
A hard, unfeeling man may make a good sheriff, 
but he is unfit for any position in the Church of 
Christ. Sympathy underlies the whole Christian 
system, and is the power of God unto salvation. 
It propels the machinery that is redeeming the 
world from heathenism. Leaders must be full of 
it. They must weep with those who weep, and 
for sinners who do not weep, and rejoice with 
those who rejoice. The sick, poor, and multi- 
tudes of children and unfortunate ancj friendless 



Of Class-Leaders. 105 

adults, are suffering for kind words and feelings. 
They want to be noticed and loved. Any 
leader who will strike out and seek after these 
classes in the spirit of Jesus will have a crowd 
after him, not merely for the little temporalgood 
he may do them, but 'for his friendship. 

People in better conditions often need sym- 
pathy as well. Afflictions of one kind or an- 
other come to all, and a bleeding heart courts 
consolation. A leader who enters into all 
the interests of his class will command their 
attendance, though his words may be few and 
weak. 

7. He must be social and companionable, 
greeting his members in a warm and friendly 
manner, and not be cold, reserved, and distant. 
This is the natural expression of sympathy, and 
it is difficult to make people believe that we feel 
exactly right without it. One who can cordially 
shake hands and kindly welcome the approach 
of his members, will seldom be troubled by ab- 
sentees. We have had several leaders of this 
kind, and have been obliged to divide their 
classes every few months. Such men have so 
much magnetism, that they will draw around 
them a crowd any where if you will give them 
a chance. 

But some will say, " I have no capacity for 



106 Helps to Official Members. 

this ; I cannot be sociable ; I have no heart to 
shake hands with every body." Then you must 
do it by will power, do it as a duty, do it for 
Christ's sake and for the sake of souls, that you 
may please and profit them. " Finally," says 
St. Peter, " having compassion one of another ; 
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous : know- 
ing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should 
inherit a blessing." 

Our classes and churches are suffering for 
the want of fraternal recognition, Christian fel- 
lowship and hand-shaking. We are too form- 
al and unsocial. Many have already left the 
Church and gone to the world for society. We 
need a revival of brotherly love and Christian 
intercourse. Leaders can do much to bring it 
to pass. 

8. But all these qualities are the natural prod- 
ucts of spiritual religion, of justification by 
faith, which gives " peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ," and makes us to " rejoice 
in the hope of the glory of God." Rom. v, 1-3. 
One who walks and talks with God will be inter- 
ested, and will render himself attractive and prof- 
itable to others, unless prevented by some errone- 
ous opinions. It is natural for the sun to shine. 
Leaders may be full of knowledge, but if they 
have not the love of God shed abroad within 



Of Class-Leaders. 107 

them they cannot .be efficient. This is their 
strength. It is a magnet that will draw all 
Christian hearts toward them. With this it is 
easy to be good, and gentle, and sympathetic. 
A leader who is consciously happy in God, will 
be likely to have a full class. 



io8 Helps to Official Members. 



CHAPTER VII. 

HOW TO MAKE A CLASS-MEETING INTERESTING 
,' AND PROFITABLE. 

ONE of the first conditions of success in 
class-leading is, that members be at once 
relieved of all embarrassment. They need to feel 
as easy as they usually do in private conversation 
at their own homes. The constraint of the wit- 
ness's box in court is not favorable to the utter- 
ance of " the whole truth," or to the reception 
of good advice. Timid people dislike the posi- 
tion, however much they may know, and will 
never occupy it unless compelled. It is on this 
ground that many are opposed to class-meet- 
ings. They are terrified the moment they en- 
ter the room, if not before, and can neither think 
nor feel naturally. Of course they are not in a 
good state of mind either to speak or to hear. 

HOW TO PREPARE A CLASS FOR ACTION. 

How to relieve a class-meeting of this em- 
barrassment is a question that we may not be 
able to solve. Something must be done to ex- 
clude the idea of a formal public meeting, and 
to socialize it. We will suggest, 



Of Class-Meetings. 109 

1. That the leader, on entering the room, 
shake hands with all present, calling them by- 
name, and giving them a cordial greeting ; and 
that he do the same with others who shall come 
before the services are opened. 2. That he com- 
mence with less formality, and in a different 
manner from what is common in public worship. 
He may do this by making some pertinent re- 
marks while sitting, or by singing a few famil- 
iar verses without rising and reading them. 
3. That he allow the members to speak sitting, 
if they prefer it, and do the same himself, a part 
of the time at least. 4. That he allow them to 
speak at any time they please, and not require 
them to wait until reached by any regular order. 
This will be likely to secure " a word in season.'* 
5. That he speak to them miscellaneously, and 
allow them to respond or not, as they shall 
please. No one will refuse to answer suitable 
questions, and this is all that many beginners 
care to do. 6. That he permit them to ask 
questions relating to any appropriate point that 
may be developed in the course of the meeting. 
This will often render the service completely 
social, and more interesting and profitable than 
it could be made by the usual method of speech 
making. 

We tested this plan in our last experience as 



no Helps to Official Members. 

leader. Beginning with a very few who ven- 
tured in, we took our seat near them, and con- 
ducted the exercises in the most informal and 
social way, making them feel at home. The 
next week the number was considerably in- 
creased, and so it went on until we had forty 
in actual attendance, when other duties called 
us away. We have since frequented another 
class which is led much after the same style. 
It is always full and spiritual. The conversa- 
tions elicited by the questions of different mem- 
bers are rich and exceedingly profitable, and 
few ask to be excused from speaking. 

Ease and freedom being secured, the next 
thing is to conduct the exercises in a manner to 
achieve the best results. What that manner is, 
is a question about which good men may hon- 
estly differ. In settling it, we should never for- 
get that a class-meeting is not a social club, or 
a literary society, but a means of grace designed 
to promote the spiritual improvement of its 
members. 

In this view we would suggest the singing of 
a few verses of a devotional character, and a 
short opening prayer by the leader or some one 
else, relating particularly to the members pres- 
ent and absent. It is not a proper time or place, 
certainly, for a long, rambling prayer. Then, if 



Of Class-Meetings. HI 

the leader has a point to carry, which may be 
aided by a few well-selected verses of Scripture, 
let them be read ; but we should not encourage 
him to spend much time in discoursing upon 
them. He is there to inquire specifically of his 
members " how their souls prosper," and they 
are present to answer, desiring, perhaps, to ask 
him some questions involving their own spiritual 
welfare, and their time is limited. Preaching is 
not appropriate to the occasion, however good. 
Leaders will do better to reserve their time and 
force until the speaking shall furnish them an 
important theme. And we should prefer to 
postpone the Scripture readings until called for 
by the progress of the meeting, and then intro- 
duce them to meet the emergencies of the hour. 
In relation to the speaking, we agree with 
the Discipline, that it should be "voluntary" 
and " conversational" and so managed as to ren- 
der the services " fresh, spiritual, and of perma- 
nent religious profit." (See ^[ 58-61.) This 
admits of considerable variety, though not fa- 
vorable to much detail in old experiences or long 
speeches. The liberty of questioning the leader, 
which we have encouraged, if not allowed to 
produce controversy, has a direct tendency 
toward these results. If he is well informed 
and ready, it will draw him out in new and in- 



U2 Helps to Official Members. 

teresting lines of thought ; if not, it will be 
likely to lead him to make the necessary prep- 
aration to meet the demand. 

But the questioning should not be restricted 
to the members. To ascertain how their " souls 
prosper," the leader will need to make some 
very searching inquiries of them. Our best 
leaders sometimes ask : " Do you pray in secret 
every day ? Do you maintain family prayer ? 
If so, when and how ? with reading the Script- 
ures and singing, or otherwise ? What are your 
habits with regard to reading the Bible ? " etc. 

These and similar questions probe the real 
heart and life, and require specific answers ; 
while the more common ones, such as, " How do 
you enjoy your mind ? " may be entirely evaded. 
And they are often indispensable to the objects 
of the meeting. As religion is made up ot 
practice, as well as faith and feeling, the leader 
needs to know the daily spiritual habits of his 
members to form a just estimate of their actual 
condition. Besides, the fact that they are oc- 
casionally questioned in this manner can hardly 
fail to make them more faithful in the discharge 
of Christian duties. 

This opens a broad field, from which the 
leader will be able to gather something new 
every week. For instance, he may speak of 



Of Class- Meetings. 113 

love to God at one meeting, inquiring as to 
its nature, fruits, etc., and what evidence the 
members find in themselves of their possessing 
it.. It will lead them to careful examination. 
At another time he may speak of sinful anger, 
and ascertain what grace is doing for his mem- 
bers on that point. Of evil speaking, too, a sin 
which is among the last to be overcome, and in- 
quire how many are at fault in that respect. A 
leader who is himself walking with God, and 
who commands the love of his class, can do this 
so tenderly as not to give offense, and help his 
members greatly in running the Christian race. 

We think favorably, also, of leaders occasion- 
ally naming some spiritual subject for consid- 
eration during the week, and asking the mem- 
bers to be ready to recite some passage of 
Scripture at the next meeting relating to it, 
and state what they know about it by experi- 
ence. This will stimulate to Bible reading, 
Christian watchfulness, and prayer, and do good 
in many ways. 

It may be well, too, to invite some devout 
member from time to time to relate his experi- 
ence for the last week in detail, showing his 
practice with regard to prayer, study, conversa- 
tion, the predominant subjects of his medita- 
tions, benevolent efforts, temptations, feelings, 



U4 Helps to Official Members. 

etc. This will enable others to understand what 
he means by a Christian life, and see wherein he 
or they are wanting. With some people religion 
consists chiefly in going to " meetings," and par- 
ticipating in their exercises; with others/ it 
seasons and shapes their entire life, public and 
private, religious and secular. Leaders can often 
teach better by example than by any words of 
their own. Judging members by their speech- 
es, we under-estimate some, and over-estimate 
others. These errors are readily detected when 
they come to give us the details of their 
practice. One leader, who instituted the 
plan of questioning his members on partic- 
ular points, was wonderfully " taken back," 
so to speak, in finding that some of his 
best speakers did not have family prayers, and 
that several were equally wanting in other re- 
spects wherein he supposed them to be models. 
The class^meeting is the door through which 
all candidates are to pass into the Church. It 
is the fold where sinners are to be gathered and 
trained for usefulness and heaven. The leader 
and his class are under-shepherds, who are to 
go after the wanderers and bring them in. We 
think it appropriate for the leader, therefore, 
to ask his members often, if not every week, 
" What have you done to win souls to Christ, 



Of Class Meetings. 115 

and secure new members to the class ? With 
how many have you conversed on the subject ? 
What else have you done ? " Christians can 
never have so healthy and rapid a growth as 
when they are active in saving others. It is 
then the waters of life flow most freely. We 
have known some leaders of very moderate 
talents who have kept their classes crowded by 
this process the year round, summer and win- 
ter. They regarded themselves as captains of 
fishing crews, and required their members to 
report their labors at every meeting, when they 
sent them out anew, inspired for still grander 
achievements. Thus each hopeful candidate 
was known to the whole class, and pursued with 
prayer and kind entreaties. 

All these exercises should be interspersed 
with earnest and appropriate singing, to be 
started by any one capable of the service, the 
more extemporaneous and voluntary the better. 
Circumstances may require the interjection of a 
prayer or two, to meet some special case of af- 
fliction, trial, penitence, or panting after God, 
that may be developed in course of the meeting. 

But we doubt the propriety of devoting one 
evening in each month entirely to prayer and 
singing, or to reading essays, or to making set 
speeches, or delivering sermons, as some have 



n6 Helps to Official Members. 

done. All these exercises are good in their 
place, but should not be allowed to subvert the 
class-meeting. In right hands it needs no such 
helps. The trouble is to get through with its 
proper business in the time allotted. If teaders 
will exercise a little common sense, and take 
pains to render their classes interesting, they 
will have no trouble in maintaining them, and 
no time hanging heavily upon their hands. 

If they feel themselves wanting in ability or 
versatility, let them talk less. Many leaders, 
like some preachers, talk too much. They 
begin with an exhortation, reply to every body 
and every thing, and necessarily become dry and 
repetitious. They should relieve themselves by 
asking questions of members who will not feel 
embarrassed. For instance, Mrs. A. says that 
she "is filled with the Spirit." Now, instead of 
replying to her, descanting upon the greatness 
of her attainments, let him ask her to explain 
herself, and tell the class just what she means, 
how that grace affects her temper, her interest 
in social amusements, her natural pride and 
ambition, her love of the world, her solicitude 
for the conversion of sinners, her pleasure in 
secret prayer, etc. This will give him a grand 
opportunity to rest and learn something, and 
her a chance to develop her own experience to 



Of Class-Meetings. 117 

the edification of others. There are some in 
most classes who may be profitably trusted with 
such work. 

Leaders may often forward their objects 
by inviting certain of their members, male 
or female, to speak to a part of their class. 
This will help them, perhaps please and profit 
others, and give variety. By a little care, too, 
they may occasionally bring in a good leader 
from without, announcing him in advance. 
It is fitting that the best leaders of every 
Church should visit all the classes, and help 
them. 

We cannot forbear to mention one other 
point. The class-meeting in our Church is a 
training school for beginners in religious life. 
They there commence to speak and sing, and 
pray, too, if properly led, and thus improve in 
confidence and ability until they are able to ex- 
ercise in a more public manner. Leaders should 
remember this, and instead of praying them- 
selves, or always inviting old established mem- 
bers to do so, they should bring forward the 
converts and encourage them to activity. It is 
pleasant to the older members of a family to 
hear the little ones try to talk and sing, like 
"big folks." So it is delightful to old Chris- 
tians to hear young converts pray and speak, 



n8 Helps to Official Members. 

however imperfectly they may do it. Some 
little girl or boy attempting to pray vocal- 
ly in class would make a much deeper im- 
pression than the leader could, though his 
words should be more correct and better ar- 
ranged. Leaders do well, sometimes, to get 
through with their other exercises in season 
to allow a number of their members to pray 
before they part. 

The writer remembers his own early experi- 
ence on this subject with gratitude. He had 
not been to many class-meetings before his 
fatherly leader asked him to pray. The attempt 
was made with much trembling. Soon after he 
invited him to lead a part of the class, and a 
little later to lead the whole, as he was ill and 
unable to be present. It was a terrible trial, 
but exceedingly profitable. 

Rev. Mr. Atkinson says most truthfully in 
his late work on class-meetings, " some of our 
most successful toilers" in the kingdom and 
patience of Jesus "would never have attained 
their glorious art but for the inspiration, the 
guidance, and the practice which the class- 
meeting afforded them. ... It was in talking 
there that their lips received the kindling 
touch, and their tongues were trained to 
holy eloquence." Bishops Coke and Asbury 



Of Class- Meetings. 119 

say that the class-meetings are, in a consid- 
erable degree, our universities for the min- 
istry." — Emory s History of the Discipline, pp. 
326, 327. 

Leaders have sometimes indulged in sharp 
words toward defective members, but this is 
seldom advisable. If they need rebuke, it is 
better to see them alone. Kind words are 
more appropriate, and promise the best results. 
They have been known, too, to be so enamored 
with the more advanced and mature of their 
members as to overlook the young and weak 
ones. This is a mistake. The physician should 
give his first and best attention to those who 
are most in need of his services. 

It is well for leaders, also, to take an interest 
in the studies of their members, recommending 
certain books and tracts best adapted to their 
growth in religion and usefulness. A few right 
books, well read, will do them much good ; 
they should early become established in the 
faith, and in their Church relations, by reading, 
or they will be likely, sooner or later, to be 
swept away from the Church. " Give attend- 
ance to reading," is an apostolic injunction too 
little regarded. 



120 Helps to Official Members. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

OF DUTIES DEVOLVING UPON OFFICIAL MEMBERS 
IN THEIR ASSOCIATE RELATIONS. 

WE have thus far spoken chiefly of the pri- 
mary and personal duties of church officers 
connected with their respective departments of 
service. They have other obligations which re- 
quire them to act in consultation with their pas- 
tor and each other. It is hardly necessary 
even to mention all these. A few, however, are 
worthy of particular notice, and will be pre- 
sented under appropriate heads, as follows : — 

I. OF GRANTING LICENSES. 

With regard to licensing exhorters and local 
preachers, and recommending the latter for 
orders and admission to the traveling connec- 
tion, they cannot be too particular. The ques- 
tion of " grace " is worthy of the highest con- 
sideration. If a candidate is of doubtful piety, 
his case had better be laid over, whatever his 
" gifts" or learning. A godless ministry is 
worse than none. Nor should officials be too 
exacting as to gifts and literary attainments 



i 



Of Duties. 1 2 r 

where grace abounds in an upright life and 
earnest zeal for the salvation of souls. Such 
grace will bring gifts, as the history of our min- 
istry fully proves. Some Quarterly Conferences 
have erred in refusing young men a license to 
preach simply on the ground that they would not 
like to have them for their pastor. Had this pol- 
icy generally prevailed, forty-nine fiftieths of our 
present ministry had never appeared in the pulpit. 
The question is not whether a candidate is now 
competent to be your pastor, but whether he is 
likely to be useful anywhere within his pro- 
posed range, and possesses those qualities which 
promise improvement. Some of our able and 
useful ministers, were refused license at home, 
and were obliged to remove their membership 
to another charge to obtain one. 

Nor should you grant a license of any sort from 
mere personal friendship in the absence of re- 
spectable endowment for the work. A young 
man may be deceived with regard to his call 
and qualifications, in which case he should be 
advised privately and kindly to postpone his 
application, and employ his gifts as a private 
member, or at most as an exhorter. The writ- 
er appeared only as an exhorter until a few 
days before he was received into the Conference 
as a probationer, and was the gainer by it. 



122 Helps to Official Members. 

Public expectation was less than it would have 
been had he been dubbed reverend. And 
when presiding elder, he often advised young 
men, who applied for license to preach, to take 
an exhorter's license rather until they should 
become mature and efficient, and they saw the 
point and did so. 

We make these suggestions for several rea- 
sons, namely: I. That some officials are too 
fearful in granting licenses, and require qualifi- 
cations that young men seldom possess. 2. That 
others are not sufficiently careful, and are dis- 
posed to license all who apply, without any 
satisfactory evidence of their call. Some are 
contented with zeal without knowledge or dis- 
cretion, and others are too well satisfied with 
knowledge without zeal ; and between them 
many good laymen have been spoiled to make 
poor ministers. 

We will only add, where a mistake of this 
kind occurs it should be corrected at the ear- 
liest opportunity. So soon as it is found that 
any license is not used as was intended, that is, 
that an exhorter does not exhort, or a preacher 
does not preach, though in' health to do so, the 
license should be revoked, and particularly when 
there is any reason to question the moral integ- 
rity of the party holding it. Much as the 



Of Duties. 123 

Church needs preachers and exhorters, she can 
well afford to spare this class of incumbents. 
And, if the Quarterly Conferences would act 
on this principle, they might be a little freer in 
granting licenses, it being understood on all 
sides that they would be continued no longer 
than they should be found useful. It would also 
relieve the embarrassment connected with vot- 
ing against renewing them, which often operates 
to perpetuate them without sufficient ^reason. 
This principle should also govern in recom- 
mending licenses as well as in granting them. 

II. OF OBTAINING PASTORS AND SUPPLIES. 

Though our bishops have the appointment 
of the preachers to their respective charges, 
this does not relieve official laymen of all re- 
sponsibility in the premises. They have the 
right of representation and petition, and being 
intimately acquainted with the circumstances 
and wishes of the people, it is expected that 
they will communicate in their associate capac- 
ity with the bishop through their presiding eld- 
er or otherwise. This is in harmony with the 
spirit of the Discipline. Some, however, go 
much further, and negotiate with the men they 
desire as pastors, subject, of course, to the pre- 
siding bishop's sanction, and there seems to be 



124 Helps to Official Members. 

little disposition among our leading ministers to 
object. Whether this is for or against us as a 
people we will not undertake to decide. The 
bishops need correct information, and they 
must have it or make their appointments at ran- 
dom. Any thing that officials can do to furnish 
it will, no doubt, be regarded with favor. But 
the bishops cannot and should not be forced 
into circumstances where they must appoint a 
particular minister to a particular charge against 
their settled convictions of propriety, or create 
a storm that may never be allayed. And this 
is just where they sometimes find themselves, 
owing to the unreasonable action of Official 
Boards, Quarterly Conferences, and self-consti- 
tuted committees. To avoid this and correla- 
tive evils we suggest : — 

i. That all officials ought to take special in- 
terest in maintaining an efficient ministry in 
their respective charges. The duty grows out 
of their relations. Not to care who is sent, is 
worse than to negotiate. 

2. Whatever is desirable, let it be done 
officially in the Quarterly Conference, or in 
committee of the whole, and not by a few 
individuals, who take it upon themselves to 
represent the whole Church. Self-appointed 
committees are common where the Church is 



Of Duties, 125 

managed by a clique of unreasonable partisans, 
but should be heard with great caution. 

3. Let the business be done through the 
presiding elder, unless there are special reasons 
for adopting another course. He has charge 
in the absence of the bishop, and should not 
only know every thing that is done, but should 
be intrusted with carrying your wishes into 
effect, if not alone, in connection with a special 
committee. It is not respectful to overlook a 
regular appointed officer in business for which 
he is largely responsible, nor is it good policy. 
He may have great influence with the bishop, 
though he has not with you. 

4. Be careful in making your selections. 
Wise officials sometimes commit huge blunders. 
Being impressed with the first appearance of a 
man, they often petition for him without asking 
many questions. One grand old Church hap- 
pened to hear a marvelous sermon from a stran- 
ger, and with united voice selected him for their 
next preacher and secured his appointment. 
But he never preached another such sermon or 
did any thing else answerable to it, showing the 
folly of selecting a minister on so slight infor- 
mation. He worried through one year and left to 
return no more. Officials ought to be very sure 
that they know their man before they petition. 



126 Helps to Official Members. 

Another Church heard a stranger at a camp- 
meeting, and marked him for their next pastor, 
without inquiring as to his usual preaching, 
pastoral habits, success, or any thing else, and 
only escaped by a friend suggesting that they 
would probably get him if they should send the 
petition they had prepared. They were also 
asked if they would dare to elect him, were it 
possible, on the information they then possessed. 
A moment's reflection revealed the folly of 
their proposed course, and the matter was for- 
ever dropped. 

A similar Church went four hundred miles 
and enlisted a pretty pulpit orator without in- 
quiring into his Methodism, grace, or usefulness, 
and believed their fortune was made ; but in a 
few months he left them and joined another 
denomination. They then went half the dis- 
tance and secured a "star," who served them 
a little while and retired under reproach. This 
cured that board of making hasty petitions. 

If you must choose your own preacher, as 
far as practicable you should exercise all the 
precaution you would were you going to elect 
him for three years. It will not do to trust to 
the opinions of any two or three of your 
acquaintances, however intelligent and pious. 
They may be your candidate's class-mates, 



Of Duties. 127 

or their ideal of capability and adaptation 
may differ very widely from your own. You 
had better hear him at his home, and in the 
prayer-meeting, and inquire of his parishion- 
ers, as to his acceptability, how he carries 
himself, what are his excellences, weaknesses, 
faults, etc., and before acting, be sure to consult 
with your presiding elder. If you cannot af- 
ford to make a thorough investigation, you had 
better leave the matter entirely to the proper 
authorities. Then, if you are not satisfied, you 
can ask for a change at the close of the first 
year ; whereas, if you make the arrangement, 
you will feel obliged to carry it through to the 
close of the regular term. 

But if you will negotiate or petition, we 
would advise, 

1. That you seek for a man of deep personal 
piety, one who walks and talks with God. 
2. One who has good sound common sense, 
well balanced, not a hobbyist, practical and 
persevering. 3. One who aims to save souls 
and build up the Church in personal holiness. 
The manifest aim of a minister has more to do 
with his success than is generally imagined. 
More fail for the want of the right aim, than 
for the want of culture. 4. One who preaches 
Jesus and his love summer and winter, and has 



128 Helps to Official Members. 

no confidence in literary essays to draw a con- 
gregation or to convert sinners. 5. One who 
loves his people, and will make their acquaint- 
ance for their religious advantage, and knows 
how to shake hands heartily and kindly, and 
give his poorest hearers a friendly recognition 
wherever he may meet them. Such a man will 
fill your house, and leave your Church larger 
and better than he found it. 6. However 
wealthy, you should avoid offering exorbitant 
salaries. One society bidding for a minister 
against another has a bad look and a worse in- 
fluence. It is extremely demoralizing to the con- 
nection. The Discipline provides for a "com- 
fortable support," and that should be furnished. 
It will be a sad day for the Church when our 
officials shall lead us astray in this particular. 
We already begin to hear of high-priced and 
low-priced preachers, and of salaries offered and 
accepted. But fortunately, perhaps, some are 
now groaning under heavy burdens, which may 
check this wayward tendency. 

There is one other point intimately connected 
with that of salaries to which officials should give 
especial attention, we refer to vacations. These 
are of modern origin. If a minister is sick and 
unable to do his work, officials should afford 
him relief, and continue his salary, if possible, 



Of Duties, 129 

though it may be in the dead of winter. There 
may be other cases, as of exhaustion from ex- 
cessive labor, when a similar course would be 
advisable. Our objection is to vacations, irre- 
spective of health, which are beginning to be 
customary, and extend from two to ten weeks 
during the heat of summer. That they are 
deleterious to the societies generally which 
grant them, we have not the least doubt. 
Where Churches are closed during the time, 
some children and adults who have no vacation 
leave and never return. The evil is less when 
the ordinary services are kept up, however im- 
perfectly. And considering the way in which 
many of the favored pastors dispose of them- 
selves, it is questionable whether they would 
not do better to stay about home, preach once 
on the Sabbath, and keep within call to console 
their dying or afflicted members and attend fu- 
nerals. But if you grants a vacation you should 
make some provision for these emergencies 
and have it publicly announced, so that the con- 
gregation should know on whom to call for pas- 
toral service if needed. Not to do so, during 
the most sickly season of the year, is virtually 
to say to the people that the service is unim- 
portant, from which they naturally infer that 
the pastorate is a farce. Physicans never take 



130 Helps to Official Members. 

a vacation without engaging some one to look 
after their patients, nor do teachers and other 
secular men step aside for a day without leav- 
ing their business in competent hands. 

We emphasize this point, because we have 
been compelled to see the mortifying position 
in which some of our pastors and Churches 
have placed themselves. Only last summer we 
were called upon to attend funerals by deeply af- 
flicted Methodists who had traveled many miles 
and rung many parsonage door bells in vain to 
find a preacher. Being pre-engaged in church 
work, and unable to serve them, they finally 
found relief in another denomination. And, as 
if to add to the ridiculousness of the situation, 
a reporter called on the Catholic priest, an 
elderly, hard-working neighbour of ours just at 
that time, and inquired where he proposed to 
spend his vacation, and he laughed at him, say- 
ing that he never " took a vacation in his life." 

With these suggestions, we commend the 
subject to your prayerful consideration. You 
have the whole matter in your own hands. 
Preachers will submit to your wisdom in the 
premises. What you do for one well man you 
will be expected to do for all. May God direct 
you to Christian conclusions ! 



Of Duties. 131 

IX. OF CHURCH MUSIC. 

Though singing is a part of divine worship, and 
is therefore under the control of the pastor, 
custom invests officials with high responsibility 
in regard to it. (See Dis., % 55.) The Meth- 
odist theory has been from the beginning de- 
cidedly in favor of congregational singing. " Ex- 
hort every person in the congregation," says 
the Discipline, " to sing, not one in ten only." 
But by some mismanagement this policy was 
superseded by the introduction of choirs and 
quartettes, divesting us of our musical power 
and distinction. The tide, however, seems to 
be turning in favor of our first love, for which 
we should be devoutly thankful. The tyranny 
of choirs is intolerable, to say nothing of much 
of their music, especially when they are irreli- 
gious, and are left to themselves. It is time 
for preachers and officials to be delivered out 
of their hands. If you employ experts to aid in 
this department of public worship, you should 
require them to obey orders and dismiss them 
for not doing so. Mr. Ira D. Sankey, the co- 
laborer of Mr. Moody, the evangelist, gives 
some wholesome advice on the subject, grow- 
ing out of fifteen years' experience in conduct- 
ing the service of praise in many churches and 



132 Helps to Official Members. 

countries. He insists on having a good large 
choir of Christian singers, who will encourage 
the congregation to join with them, and not 
monopolize the service themselves. He says : — 

I would not have unconverted persons leading the 
praise of the people of God. I am fully persuaded that 
four fifths of the traditionary trouble with choirs arises 
from having unconverted people conducting this part of 
the service of the sanctuary. If I could not get a converted 
choir, I would go back to the good old ways of our 
forefathers and select the best Christian man in the 
Church who has a good voice, and put him in front of the 
congregation, and let him lead as best he could. I am 
sure the people would join more heartily under his lead- 
ing than they would with a choir who are anxious to 
show how well they can execute some new tune which 
they have just found. . . . 

I would have the singers and the organ in front of the 
congregation, near the minister or speaker, and would 
insist on deportment by the singers in keeping with the 
sendees of the house of God. The conduct of the choir 
during the service will have very much to do with the suc- 
cess of the preaching. Instead of whispering, writing 
notes, passing books, and the like, the choir should give the 
closest attention to all the services, especially to the 
preaching of the word. There should be the most in- 
timate understanding between the leader of the singing 
and the pastor. . . . 

The congregation should be exhorted by the pastor to 
join heartily in the singing, and if a choir-master should 
persist in bringing out new-fangled tunes in which the 



Of Duties. 133 

people cannot join, he should be set aside, and his place 
supplied by some one who would not be so ambitious to 
show off how well the choir could perform. 

The whole question of the singing should be kept in 
the hands of the office-bearers of the Church, and the 
choir should never be encouraged to entertain the idea 
that they are an independent organization, with power to 
levy war upon the Church and bring it to terms, or to 
secede from it and cause a disruption. — S. S. Times y 
vol. xviii, No. 4. 

It must never be forgotten that singing is 
worship. W. F. Sherwin lately gave utterance 
to some pertinent remarks in the Christian Con- 
vention at Philadelphia directly to this point. 
He said : — 

I like to thrust the word of God down into people's 
hearts, as the bases of all operations, and I should like if 
all Churches, ministers, elders, choirs, priests, or what 
not, would constantly come to this word. Let me 
call your attention to two or three passages of Scripture 
which settles the whole matter. First, we read in Psalm 
1, 23, " Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." Therefore 
he who does not glorify God in his song is not offering 
praise, though he may sing as never mortal sung before. 
Sometimes men try to glorify themselves, sometimes to 
glorify an organ builder. I know of a case that occurred 
recently where an organ concert was introduced to show 
the acoustic properties of a church and the musical 
qualities of an organ, and they called it a Praise Service. 

In 1 Corinthians xiv, 11, is something which applies 
to this very matter of Church music: " Therefore, if I 



134 Helps to Official Members. 

know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him 
that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be 
a barbarian unto me.' ' For if I pray in an unknown 
tongue (v. 14) my spirit prayeth, but my understanding 
is unfruitful.' What is it then? 'I will pray in the 
spirit and I will pray with the understanding also ; I will 
sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understand- 
ing also.' Now, Paul knew just what he was about 
when he put the music of the sanctuary and the praying 
of the sanctuary on a level. What is prayer in the one, 
is prayer in the other. What is wrong and out of place 
in the one, is wrong and out of place in the other. It is 
as bad to say we will sing - a verse or two to cover the 
confusion, or while something else is going on, as it 
would be for Brother Moody to lead in prayer while we 
take up a collection. 

Let it never be forgotten that the music of the Church 
should be under the control of the Church, especially of 
the pastor as the chief officer of the Church. He is the 
responsible conductor of all its exercises. ... When 
a leader assumes to control the singing as did one in 
New York, who said to his pastor, " You take care of your 
end of the church and I will take care of my end," that 
man should not be suffered any longer to pollute so 
much as a parlor organ. — S. S. Times, Jan. 29, 1 876. 

The music of the church involves the ques- 
tion of organs also, about which there is a gen- 
eral misapprehension. Under the delusion that 
a large and expensive organ is desirable, ma- 
ny poor societies have involved themselves in 
ruinous debts to obtain one. The result is, 



Of Duties. 135 

they are at extra expense for a blower and an 
accomplished player, and then the instrument 
is drowned by the sound, so that the worship- 
er cannot tell what is piped or harped, and it 
makes little difference what hymn is used. Thus 
this most inspiring part of worship becomes 
"vain jingling ;" and the voluntaries of an un- 
christian organist are often shocking, particu- 
larly the storm of inappropriate sounds let off 
at the close of the service. * 

We have long been of the opinion that a 
small organ is preferable, but have hardly dared 
to avow it. But since we heard Mr. Sankey 
lead a choir of a thousand singers in the pres- 
ence of ten thousand people with only a little 
cabinet organ to aid him, we have been embold- 
ened to speak out. In the address before men- 
tioned he said in so many words that " he pre- 
ferred a small cabinet organ to a large pipe or- 
gan, which drowns the people's voices." He is 
also opposed to long interludes and long volun- 
taries, and insists on a clear expression of the 
words sung, that the people may have the ben- 
efit of the sentiment as well as the sound. 

But if you will have a pipe organ, get a small 
one. Professor Tourjee, of the Boston Conser- 
vatory, describes four different instruments, the 
largest costing $5,009, and large enough for $ny 



136 Helps to Official Members. 

church ; the second of nearly the same size, but 
less complicated, costing $2,500 ; the third, a 
little smaller, costing from $800 to $1,200 ; and 
the last costing $500, and large enough and 
good enough for most congregations, and suffi- 
ciently complicated to tax the skill of ordinary 
players. (See Golden Rule, Jan. 26, 1876.) 

If none of these are satisfactory you may 
purchase a good cabinet organ if you know 
how, ranging from $75 to $300, and play it well 
for one third of what it would cost you to main- 
tain a larger organ poorly. But whatever you 
get, pay for it, and then insist on having it 
played to aid the singing, and not to spoil it. 
And do not be in so much haste, or confide so 
much in one man's opinion, as to make a mistake. 

IV. BENEVOLENT COLLECTIONS. 

Officials are usually and properly consulted 
by their pastor in regard to our benevolences. 
Whatever may be his rights in the premises, 
he naturally desires to act in harmony with his 
leading men. Much, therefore, depends on you. 
While we are hardly prepared to prescribe a 
definite system of benevolent financiering, we 
will venture to offer a few suggestions : — 

1. That you do not dodge the subject, but 
look it fairly in the face. By this we mean, 



Of Duties. 137 

that you deliberately consider all claims duly 
presented, and not bluff them off with a groan 
about " so many collections." One will ask you 
to help in sending the Gospel to the heathen, 
another to aid in the purchase of books . and 
tracts for the poor, and so on. But whatever 
may be the object proposed hear and consider 
it. If it is worthy, help it what you can consist- 
ently with your necessary expenses and other 
obligations. If you are poor and can do but 
little, do that little cheerfully and religiously. 
That is a beautiful report which shows that ev- 
ery disciplinary claim has been considered, and 
responded to in money, though it may be but to 
a very limited extent. Our scarcity is more 
owing to no collections than to small ones. 

2. That you submit each object on its own 
merit, and give the people a fair chance to con- 
tribute as they may be able and feel disposed. 
The common method of combining several ob- 
jects in one collection, called the "omnibus " plan, 
is a mistake. It lessens the number of the col- 
lections, indeed, but it lessens the aggregate 
amount of them more, and is a shrewd method 
of dismissing an unpleasant subject. 

Now, if our plan of meeting current expens- 
es should be adopted it will reduce the num- 
ber of special collections very much, and leave 



138 Helps to Official Members. 

room for each of our benevolences without 
crowding them or the people. All that need be 
done in most cases is to present the cause on 
its merits, and ask all to give something, 
however little. The missionary collection, and 
perhaps one other, will need more urging. 

Officials, and preachers also, are often too 
timid at this point. They should meet the 
question heroically, and go manfully through the 
ceremony of representing each cause by itself 
and taking a collection for it, though it may not 
amount to a dollar. The representation will 
commend the subject to favorable consideration, 
and a part of the hearers will some day have 
more to give. It would hardly be possible to 
collect less than a penny a piece for each mem- 
ber of the whole Church on this plan, and yet 
this would be more than our annual average 
for the Tract cause during the last five years. 

3. But perhaps you will say we cannot af- 
ford it. Cannot afford what ? To give a penny ? 
That is not so. You have hardly a pensioner 
on your Church that cannot afford to do that for 
each of our benevolences, while most of your 
members could well spare many times that 
amount. 

To settle this question, just take your pencil 
and sit down and figure up all you gave last 



Of Duties. 139 

year for benevolence, and see how very little it 
is as compared with your income, or what you 
spent on yourself that might better have been 
given to Christ. Now, add to that what you 
paid for preaching, that is, for the support of 
local religion, which was as necessary to you 
and the training of your family, to say the least, 
as were the public schools or the civil govern- 
ment. If the sum total startles you by its vast- 
ness, we will say no more. But most of you 
will probably find it smaller than you anticipated, 
and that you can well afford to let the collec- 
tions take their disciplinary course without 
demur. 

4. There is another view to be taken of the 
subject. Churches which live solely for them- 
selves, and care little for others, uniformly de- 
cline, while those which take a benevolent in- 
terest in others prosper. The Bible contains 
no truer statement than that "There is that 
scattereth, and yet increaseth ; and there is that 
withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to 
poverty." Prov. xi, 24. 

We say this with due appreciation of your 
difficulties. Some of you have heavy burdens 
to bear, and may not see your way through. 
But a magnanimous course will pay, and bring 
deliverance. 



140 Helps to Official Members. 

v, of the piety and reputation of the 

CHURCH. 

In becoming members of the Church we re- 
nounced the devil and all his works, the vain 
pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous 
desires of the same, and promised that we would 
not follow or be led by them. (Dis., p. 482.) 
We agreed, also, to abstain from "such diver- 
sions as cannot be used in the name of the 
Lord Jesus." (Dis., p. 32.) These are danger- 
ous points with many of our young people. 
The utmost care has often failed to restrain 
some of them from being overcome. It is ex- 
pected of you that you will rigidly abide by 
these rules, and exert all your influence to have 
others do the same. 

But some take a different course. It was 
only yesterday that a recent case came to our 
knowledge in which a trustee, a member of the 
Church, by persistent effort got up a dance at a 
family gathering at the house of another mem- 
ber, and drew into it some five or six others, 
who, like himself, had publicly discarded such 
diversions. We are happy to say, however, 
that not a few were unconquerable, and some 
justly left the party in disgust. The sooner 
that man and all like him reform, or renounce 



Of Duties, 141 

religion, the better it will be for the Church. 
Dancing is no part of Methodism, though it 
may be opened with prayer, and should not be 
encouraged. It belongs to the world, and, as 
often practiced, to the flesh, if not to the devil, 
though a less evil of itself than some other 
amusements with which it is generally associated. 
There is a large class of different amuse- 
ments which will tempt you more than dancing, 
professing as they do to aid in paying expenses, 
but they are disgraceful to the Church and ru- 
inous to spiritual religion. We have before us 
a flaming show bill representing one species of 
this numerous family. It is 24 by 39 inches in 
size, from which we extract the following : — 

THE SECOND GRAND 

ENTERTAINMENT 

BY THE 

Young Ladies and Gentlemen of M. E. Church, 

CONSISTING OP 

DRAMAS, TABLEAUX, PANTOMIME, AND MUSIC. 
Proceeds for the benefit of the Church. 

A smaller sheet goes more into particulars, 
and reveals the fact that Peter and Lady Teazle, 
Yankee Doodle, Mistletoe, and a Farce entitled 
" Kiss in the Dark," were to be displayed. 



142 Helps to Official Members. 

A gentleman who was present, and forwarded 
the aforesaid sheet to a friend, says in a letter : 
" Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather 
the entertainment was well attended, and was 
opened by prayer by the pastor." Yet, after 
all, this theatrical display yielded the Church 
less than forty-five dollars. 

But we will not enlarge upon this subject. 
Officials are expected to protect the Church 
against all such disgraceful expedients. Money 
is not valuable enough to be purchased at such 
a price, and the less members we gather by con- 
verting the church into a theater the better we 
shall be off. 

Finally, In all your deliberations seek ear- 
nestly to agree. You are intrusted with high 
and holy responsibilities. As you go, so goes 
the Church. Avoid contention of every kind. 
Be patient under defeat. Remember that, how- 
ever settled your convictions on any subject, 
you may be in error, and your opponents right. 
Take offense at nothing. Let it be understood 
that you stand by the cause at whatever cost of 
feeling. If wronged, bear it patiently. Never 
try to rule by your money or influence to the 
grief of your brethren. Conquer by forbear- 
ance. Use no hard words. Be prompt and 
active in the religious meetings. These are 



Of Duties. 143 

left too much to the younger and less influen- 
tial members. Be ready to speak or pray as 
occasion may require, and that from the heart. 
Do not cater to the world. Never be ambitious 
of office, nor decline it when offered you. Be 
tender to the poor, and merit the love of all who 
know you. Rule in love, but in righteousness. 
" Stand up for Jesus " in all your doings. And 
may God send you prosperity ! 



144 Helps to Official Members. 



CHAPTER IX. 

OF MISCELLANEOUS OFFICERS. 

POWEES AND DITTIES OF SUPERINTENDENT, CHORISTERS, ORGANISTS, CHAIR- 
MEN OP COMMITTEES, PRESIDENTS, AND PARLIAMENTARY USAGES. 

IN addition to the officers already mentioned, 
there are others more or less intimately con- 
nected with our Church who are entitled to 
consideration. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS 

hold one of the most important offices known 
to any people, giving them the special charge of 
the religious training of children and youth ; 
they, therefore, have the destiny of the Church 
in their power. The position of minister of the 
Gospel is not more responsible. They are a 
savor of life or of death to the young minds un- 
der their supervision, and, through them, to 
coming Methodism. Hence, too much care can- 
not be exercised in selecting men for this office. 
The Sunday-school is an institution of the 
Church, and not an independent affair as some 
have imagined. The duties of pastors in rela- 
ton to it are specified with marked precision. 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 145 

(See Dis. y T 251-254.) It is also required of 
Quarterly Conferences "To have supervision 
of all the Sunday-schools and Sunday-school 
Societies within the bounds of their circuit or 
station, and to inquire into the condition of 
each ; to approve of Sunday-school superintend- 
ents not elected by the Quarterly Conference, 
and to remove any superintendents who may 
prove unworthy or inefficient. ,, Dis., T" 96. The 
superintendent is, therefore, an officer of the 
Church and under its control. And if he is a 
member of the Church, he is also a member of 
the Quarterly Conference. (Dis., T 93.) 

We state these facts to counteract the mis- 
chievous notion that Sunday-schools are not 
under the control of the Church, and may be 
conducted independently of Church authority. 
Also to show that if the Sunday-school is mis- 
managed the Quarterly Conference is to blame. 

We have lately been consulted with regard 
to a school which was chiefly controlled by ir- 
religious people, and amounted to little more 
than a Social Club. Few of the children at- 
tended public worship, and while the pastor was 
preaching the leading managers would be en- 
gaged in social chat in an anteroom, under pre- 
tense of planning for the school. Our advice was 

that the officials should go into the school and 
10 



146 Helps to Official Members. 

either reform or abolish it. In another case 
the pastor had made arrangements with his 
board for a protracted meeting, and opened 
with his extra help on Sunday morning. The 
services of the day promised exceedingly well ; 
but during the evening preaching the teachers 
convened and arranged for a festival, which 
would require the use of the church, and the 
peaceable pastor was obliged to suspend his 
revival work and await the convenience of the 
teachers. The school controlled the Church 
in that instance rather than the Church the 
school, which w r as not an isolated case. 

In view of these and other similar facts, show- 
ing the need of radical reform at this point, we 
suggest : — 

1. That superintendents should exercise their 
office in strict subordination to Church order. 
That they should attend upon the public serv- 
ices themselves, and, as far as possible, induce 
their teachers, officers, and scholars to do the 
same. By this means they will show that their 
schools are not competitors of the Church, but 
co-operators and helpers. 

2. That they lay no plans that will interfere 
with the services. It is due to pastors that they 
be consulted in all matters of this kind, and 
fully understand what is proposed, and be a 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 147 

party to every measure, especially as they have 
charge of the schools as well as of the Church. 
These suggestions are not needed, we are 
quite sure, in many places. The officers of the 
Church largely supervise and control the schools, 
as they do the class and prayer meeting. Such 
schools work in harmony with the Church, and 
contribute largely to its strength and progress # 
The scholars attend the preaching with their 
parents or teachers and feel interested. But 
some of our congregations are almost destitute 
of children and youth. We had occasion to 
predict to one lately, that if they did not change 
their policy they would have no successors. 
" Where are the children ? " we inquired. " O," 
answered the pastor, " they go to the Sunday- 
school." If the pastor does not preach to in- 
terest the children, let him be advised, and, if 
necessary, required to do it. One very learned 
brother, who thought he could not preach to the 
children, was almost forced to try, and making 
the effort found, to his surprise, that he pleased 
the congregation better than before. It lifted 
him right up. He had been preaching learned 
sermons to a few of his more intelligent hear- 
ers, a mistake of many, and had failed to inter- 
est the masses. Now, coming down to the 
comprehension of the children on practical and 



148 Helps to Official Members. 

experimental subjects, he pleased and profited 
all classes. 

3. Superintendents should be religious, men 
of vital piety, who have been born of the Spirit, 
and who regard a similar change in others as in- 
dispensable to salvation. Though subordinate 
to the pastor, they wield a tremendous influence. 
They may conduct their schools in a manner to 
render them worse than useless — hot-beds of 
heresy and frivolity, or of solid spiritual piety. 

Besides, the Discipline gives superintendents 
an important agency in the selection of books. 
(See Discipline, ^[ 250.) This is a power which 
has been carelessly exercised in a manner to 
crowd our libraries with the merest trash, with 
books which are calculated to amuse rather than 
impress the readers with the duties of life and 
the realities of eternity. Irreligious superintend- 
ents cannot feel the importance of this depart- 
ment of their work, nor are they competent to 
make a wise selection. 

The grand object of Sunday-schools is to 
bring the children to Christ and train them for 
usefulness and heaven. How can a superintend- 
ent do this unless he be in Christ himself? 
He will never see that he had better have fifty 
scholars in one class under the training of a de- 
vout, earnest Christian, than to divide them 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 149 

among half a dozen respectable sinners, who 
know nothing about religion experimentally. 
Nor will he see the impropriety of allowing his 
school to indulge in sinful amusements which 
the people he represents cannot consistently 
tolerate. 

Our Church ought to learn some useful les- 
sons from Romanists. They will not trust their 
children to the care of teachers who are. not 
sound in their faith. Nor will they allow books 
to be read that have not been fully examined 
and approved by their priesthood. Hence their 
war upon the Bible in the public schools. They 
appreciate the importance of training the chil- 
dren, especially the girls, in their interests. 
Were Protestants to become as careful in this 
matter, there would be a radical revolution in 
the management of our Sunday-schools. 

4. Superintendents should be men of sound 
judgment and self-control, and possess a fair 
degree of power to please, and tact to teach 
and govern. But few men have all these quali- 
ties naturally, and none possess them to such a 
degree as to preclude the necessity of cultiva- 
tion. The means of instruction and improve- 
ment are now so abundant that any man of 
good natural and educational powers, with a lov- 
ing heart and proper Christian ambition, may 



150 Helps to Official Members. 

lift himself to a high degree of efficiency. But 
to do this he will need to read, and think, and 
study the best plans and models, and keep his 
eye on the proper object, namely, training the 
children for God and usefulness. 

Sunday-schools were originally designed to 
teach reading, spelling, etc., to poor children 
who had no other means of instruction, and were 
conducted by paid teachers. Methodism had 
the honor of introducing unpaid teachers to 
teach morals as well, and has succeeded most 
where it has made religion most prominent. 
Superintendents who keep their eye on this 
point, and manage every thing with reference to 
spiritual results, and tolerate no practices incon- 
sistent therewith, generally bring their pupils 
to God and the Church during their minority. 
But where superintendents seek to please the 
children by leading them into worldly amuse- 
ments the result is very different. They may 
prepare them for other Churches, which eschew 
vital piety and tolerate frivolity, but they spoil 
them for us, unless the pastor or others shall be 
able to reform and convert them in spite of their 
unfortunate training. 

We might make other suggestions on this 
subject, but our main design has been com- 
passed, namely, to emphasize the importance of 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 151 

having our schools managed in harmony with 
the administration of the Church, and in a way 
to contribute to the highest spiritual results. 
The late action of the General Conference prom- 
ises improvement in the objectionable matters 
above named. {Discipline, ^[ 248.) 

OF CHORISTERS AND ORGANISTS. 

These officers occupy a very important posi- 
tion, which some of them fill with admirable 
effect. We have often felt deeply impressed 
with our indebtedness to them for their inspir- 
ing services. Where they are in full sympathy 
with the pulpit, and have good taste and sound 
judgment, they may add wonderfully to the 
pleasure and profit of public worship. They are 
to the preacher what Sankey is to Moody. 
They help him in his best efforts, and where he 
fails they excel. 

But some who occupy these positions are 
sadly wanting. In the first place they are irre- 
ligious, and have no interest in the worship of 
God, or its effect upon the people. They hold 
the office for what they can make o\it of it, and 
perform to glorify themselves, tfye music, or the 
organ, and when done, slip Qwzy until the close 
of the sermon ; or, what is worse, remain and 
conduct in a manner to disgrace the house of 



152 Helps to Official Members. 

God and dampen its devotions. Our advice in 
regard to such officers is to dismiss them imme- 
diately, and sing the long metre doxology three 
times at each service if you can do no better. 
Choristers must be in sympathy with the occa- 
sion, or they can neither select appropriate 
music or sing it with proper effect. They need 
to feel the sentiment of the hymn in their souls 
in order to give it a right expression. And the 
same is largely true of the organist. If his 
heart is not interested, his preludes, interludes, 
and other voluntaries will show it often to the 
disgust of all sincere worshipers. 

OF CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEES, PRESIDENTS, 

ETC. 

In the prosecution of Church work, gentle- 
men, and ladies too, are sometimes called upon 
to preside over committees, or larger assemblies. 
And it frequently happens that they are greatly 
embarrassed for the want of information as to 
parliamentary order, otherwise, the order of 
procedure which is generally observed in delib- 
erative bodies. This places them in an awk- 
ward position. Unless the)'' have read some 
good work on the subject, or witnessed the pro- 
ceedings of similar bodies, they can neither 
know their own rights and duties^ or the rights 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 1 5 3 

and privileges of other members of the meeting. 
The natural result is, the business gets badly- 
tangled and retarded, if not entirely defeated. 
We deem it important, therefore, to furnish a few 
of the more common rules which have become 
established by general usage. 

This is desirable for another reason. Gentle- 
men especially will sometimes be called upon to 
participate in town meetings, conventions, or oth- 
er associations, in which "knowledge is power," 
especially the knowledge of parliamentary usage. 
These rules will initiate them in the study and 
practice of conventional business, and, perhaps, 
prompt them to seek for high attainments. 
The following will suffice for all ordinary pur- 
poses : — 

I. OF COMMITTEES. 

Committees appointed to consider a particu- 
lar subject are called select committees, while 
those which are appointed to consider all mat- 
ters relating to a general subject are called 
standing committees. 

In making up a committee it is usual to ap- 
point a majority who are in favor of the measure 
proposed. 

Where the chairman is not designated by the 
appointing bqdy, the first named on the com- 



154 Helps to Official Members. 

mittee is expected to call the first meeting, 
and preside until a regular chairman shall be 
elected. 

It may not convene while the appointing 
body is in session without special permission, 
and can act only when regularly assembled. 
They may report by the chairman, or any other 
person they may select, and should return all 
papers put into their hands unmutilated. 

Their report should be in writing, and signed 
by the chairman and secretary. 

They may state their findings and conclu- 
sions in the form of resolutions or otherwise, 
and give their reasons or not, as they please. 
The acceptance of the report of a select commit- 
tee ends their authority. 

Should a minority of the committee disap- 
prove of the report adopted by the majority^ 
they may make a minority report representing 
their own views. This should be introduced to 
the appointing body, immediately after the 
reading of the report of the majority, as a sub- 
stitnte. It being read, it is then in order to 
move to take up either for consideration and 
adoption. Whichever may get precedence, the 
other may be immediately offered on motion as 
an amendment, or substitute. 

A committee of the whole is composed of the 



Of Miscellaneous Officers, 155 

whole senate, house, or other body, by resolving 
itself into one. It is generally done to avoid 
certain parliamentary restrictions, and give a 
freer and wider range to discussion. 

2. OF ORGANIZATION. 

Where assemblies of people are convened, 
and desire to assume conventional order, it is 
usual for a person of age and distinction to rise 
and nominate some one to act as chairman pro 
tempore, that is, for the time being, when he puts 
his own motion and pronounces the result of 
the vote ; or he may call for the nomination of 
a chairman from the body. 

If several are nominated he should put the 
motion in the order in which they were named 
until one of them receives a majority of the 
votes, when the person thus elected takes the 
chair. 

The next thing in order is to appoint a sec- 
retary pro tempore. If several are appointed 
the first elected is the principal. 

At this stage in the proceedings it is usual 
to determine who are members of the assembly 
and have a right to vote. This will involve the 
reading of the call, if one has been made, and 
the reception of credentials, or otherwise, as the 
case may be. Then comes 



156 Helps to Official Members. 

the permanent organization, 

which is sometimes effected by raising a com- 
mittee to nominate a full board of officers, to 
be elected by ballot or otherwise ; and some- 
times by nominating them viva voce, and corn- 
firming by ballot or hand vote. 

3. OF PRESIDING OFFICERS. 

The duties of presiding officers, unless di- 
rected by some special order, are generally as 
follows : — 

To call the members to order at the appointed 
time. 

To conduct the religious services in person, 
or by proxy. 

To have the secretary call the roll at each 
session, unless otherwise ordered. 

To have the records of the previous meeting 
read, corrected, and approved, if not done at the 
close of said meeting. 

To announce the order of business, if any 
has been established. If not, to ask and carrv 
out the pleasure of the meeting. 

To receive all communications to the body 
and announce them. 

To put to vote all questions regularly sub- 
mitted, and declare the result. 



Of Miscellaneous Officers, 157 

To hold the members to order in the pros- 
ecution of the business. 

To decide all questions of law. 

To authenticate by his signature all the acts 
and proceedings of the assembly. 

To appoint committees, when directed, and 
when a standing rule of the body requires him 
to do so. 

To give attention to each individual while 
speaking, and show no partiality to personal or 
party friends, protecting the rights and privi- 
leges of minorities and opponents as well as 
those of others. Chairmen sometimes deal very 
unfairly, but they gain nothing by it in the 
end. 

When the president withdraws from the 
chair the first vice-president should take his 
place. If there be no vice-president, custom 
allows the president to appoint a chairman du- 
ring his temporary absence. 

If the president be absent, and it becomes 
necessary to elect one pro tern., the secretary 
must conduct the proceedings. 

In large assemblies the presiding officer 
may read sitting, but should rise to state a mo- 
tion or put a question. 



158 Helps to Official Members. 

4. of the duties of the secretary. 

The secretary is generally required to keep a 
correct record of the proceedings, and authenti- 
cate them by his signature. 

To read, standing, all papers which may be 
ordered. 

To notify the chairman of each committee of 
his appointment, giving him a list of his col- 
leagues, and stating the business referred to 
the Committee. 

To allow no papers to be taken from his ta- 
ble without permission from the assembly. 

He should write plainly, giving each item of 
business a paragraph by itself, noted in the 
margin for easy reference. 

If a member of the body, he may participate 
in its deliberations, the same as though he was 
not secretary. 

5. OF MEMBERS. 

All members have an equal right to make 
motions, explain, and advocate them in dis- 
cussion. 

No member should be interrupted when 
speaking, except by the president, who may 
call him to order when he departs from the 
question, uses personalities or disrespectful Ian- 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 159 

guage ; but any member may call the attention 
of the president to the subject when he deems a 
speaker out of order, and may explain when he 
thinks himself misrepresented. 

The president may declare a member out of 
order when he thinks him indecorous, or other- 
wise guilty of improper conduct; but the ac- 
cused member may be heard in his own defense, 
when he should withdraw until the question is 
settled. 

The only punishments which a deliberative 
body can inflict are reproof, prohibition to 
speak or vote for a specified time, and expulsion. 

Any member who desires to speak must rise 
and respectfully address the Chair. 

If two or more members thus indicate their 
desire, the president should give the floor to 
the one whose voice he first heard. If this is 
not satisfactory, the case may be decided by the 
assembly. 

6. OF MOTIONS. 

No speech should be made without a motion, 
nor after a motion is made and seconded, until 
it is stated by the president. 

All motions or resolutions must be reduced 
to writing if the president, secretary, or any 
two members request it. 



160 Helps to Official Members. 

Motions may be withdrawn by the mover at 
any time before they are decided or amended. 

No new motion or resolution can be made 
until the one under consideration is disposed of. 

Motions not withdrawn must be adopted or 
rejected, unless one of the following motions 
should intervene, which motions must be put in 
the order in which they stand : — 

i. .To adjourn. 

2. To indefinitely postpone. 

3. To lay on the table. 

4. To refer to a committee. 

5. To postpone to a given time. 

6. To amend or substitute it by another. 
Adjournment. A simple motion to adjourn 

is always in order by any member who has the 
floor, and must be decided without amendment 
or debate. And when a motion to adjourn is 
lost it cannot be renewed until some other mo- 
tion has been made, or other business trans- 
acted. {Matthias s Manual, p. 72.) 

A motion to adjourn to a given time may be 
amended and debated. An adjournment with- 
out day is equivalent to a dissolution. 

When a question is interrupted by a vote to 
adjourn it loses its precedence, and must be 
brought up again in the usual way, except in a 
special meeting, when it will be the first busi- 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 161 

ness in order at the next session, the same as 
when an adjournment occurs by lapse of time, 
and not by vote. 

Indefinite Postponement. A vote to in- 
definitely postpone a subject or resolution places 
it beyond the reach of that session — it cannot 
be called up again. 

Laying on the Table. A vote to lay a 
motion or resolution on the table carries all 
amendments and collateral motions with it ; 
but the subject may be taken up again at the 
option of the body. 

Referring to a Committee. Matters are 
referred to a committee to obtain information or 
effect some modification. If there are two mo- 
tions, one to refer to a standing committee, and 
the other to a select committee, that referring it 
to the standing committee should be first put. 
The whole subject may be referred, or only 
a part, with instructions, or without. A report 
may be recommitted when amendments are de- 
sired. 

The Division of a Question. When a 
proposition is susceptible of division, it may be 
submitted to the vote in parts by common con- 
sent, or by order of the assembly. 

Filling of Blanks. When a paper is 

adopted, leaving blanks to be filled, and differ- 
11 



1 62 Helps to Official Members. 

ent propositions are made, the motion should 
be first put on the largest sum and longest time. 

7- OF AMENDMENTS. 

An amendment may be accepted by the 
mover of an original proposition before it is 
stated by the chairman. If not so accepted, it 
must be put as a regular amendment 

Amendments may be made by striking out or 
inserting certain words, or by striking out some 
and inserting others. 

When a proposition embraces several senten- 
ces or resolutions they should be taken up sep- 
arately; but when they have all been passed 
upon, it is not usual to go back and propose 
other amendments. 

An amendment may be amended, but not an 
amendment to an amendment of an amend- 
ment. In putting the question the chairman 
should begin with the last amendment, and 
work back to the original proposition. 

Whatever is agreed to or discarded cannot be 
amended ; nor is it in order to move again just 
what has been rejected. 

In putting the vote, the main proposition 
should be read, then the words proposed to be 
struck out or inserted, and, finally, the whole 
as it will stand if the amendment be adopted. 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 163 

Amendments may be made to modify a propo- 
sition or to defeat it. Resolutions are often 
amended by striking out all the words after 
" Resolved that," and inserting a proposition 
of an entirely different character. 

Orders of the Day are subjects that have 
been assigned to a certain day, or to a particu- 
lar hour of a certain day. When the time ar- 
rives it is proper to move to take up the order 
of the day. If that motion fails, as it often 
does, a new motion to make the. question in- 
volved the order for another day will be neces- 
sary. 

8. OF SUNDRY OTHER QUESTIONS. 

Privileged Questions are of three kinds, 
namely: 1. Motions to adjourn ; 2. Motions re- 
lating to the rights and privileges of the assem- 
bly, or of its members individually ; 3. Motions 
for the order of the day. 

All these questions take precedence of the 
business in hand. A vote to take up the order, 
or the orders of the day, if there be more than 
one, leaves the pending question just where it 
would stand under a motion to adjourn. 

Incidental Questions, such as questions of 
order, motions for the reading of papers, leave 
to withdraw a motion, supervision of a rule, and 



164 Helps to Official Members. 

the amendment of an amendment, must be de- 
cided before the question which gave rise to them. 

Questions of Order are to be decided by 
the presiding officer without debate. If his de- 
cision is not satisfactory, any member may ap- 
peal to the assembly, when it becomes the duty 
of the Chair to submit the question, thus : " Shall 
the decision of the Chair stand as the decision 
of the assembly ? " It is then debatable, and 
the chairman may participate in the discussion. 
The vote is finally taken, and the decision an- 
nounced, which settles the question. 

The Previous Question is designed to sup- 
press debate, and compel immediate action on 
the main question. It is put in this form: 
(< Shall the main question be now put ? " It 
cannot be amended. If decided in the affirma- 
tive, the question must be put, first on the 
amendments, and then on the main proposi- 
tion. It is not in order to move the previous 
question unless the assembly has made a rule 
providing for it. And when once made and 
seconded, all other motions and discussions 
must cease until it is settled. 

It is deemed unparliamentary and abusive to 
introduce a proposition and at the same time 
move the previous question. It is emphatically 
so where the proposition has been supported 



Of Miscellaneous Officers, 165 

by a speech. Yet it is sometimes done. 
Judge Cushing advises that no notice be taken 
of the motion under these circumstances. 

9. OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. 

When no order is prescribed, the chairman 
may present any regular business he may deem 
appropriate. 

In acting on reports or other documents, em- 
bracing several propositions, they should be first 
read through by the secretary. Then they should 
be read by the president or secretary, pausing 
at the close of each paragraph, that amendments 
may be made if desired, acting on the preamble 
last. Having thus passed through any paper, 
it is proper to adopt it as a whole. 

10. OF ORDER IN DEBATE. 

The presiding officer is presumed not to enter 
into the debate ; but he is allowed to state mat- 
ters of fact within his knowledge, to inform the 
assembly on points of order when called upon 
to do so, or when it is necessary. 

A member arising to address the assembly 
should address the president. The person 
whose voice is first heard is entitled to the floor. 

One member giving way to another to speak 
really resigns the floor, and can retain it only 
by common consent, or the vote of the assembly. 



166 Helps to Official Members. 

When the presiding officer rises to speak other 
members should be seated, but he has no 
right to interrupt a speaker unless he is out of 
order. Then, if the speaker abandons his ob- 
jectionable course he may proceed, unless re- 
strained by the assembly. 

No member should speak more than once on 
the same question without permission of the as- 
sembly, except to explain when misrepresented. 

Respectful attention should be paid to every 
speaker. If any one uses offensive language 
he may be interrupted by any member, or by 
the president, and the words objected to should 
be written by the secretary, that he may disclaim 
them, apologize for them, or receive the cen- 
sure of the assembly. 

II. OF TAKING THE QUESTION, 

A proposition made to a deliberative body is 
called a motion ; when propounded to the as- 
sembly for action it is called a question ; when 
adopted it becomes an order, resolution, or vote 
of the assembly. 

Strictly speaking, no vote can be taken with- 
out a motion being first made and seconded ; 
but for the sake of dispatch the presiding 
officer sometimes puts the question without 
waiting for this formality. 



Of Miscellaneous Officers. 167 

The question being stated, the president first 
puts the affirmative thus : " All in favor of the 
motion to adopt say I," or " raise your hands." 
Then, u All opposed will say No," or " raise your 
hands," either way the president may prefer or 
the assembly may have ordered. He will an- 
nounce the result as he understands it. 

Should he or others be in doubt, a count or 
a yea and nay vote may be ordered. 

All members present are required to vote on 
every question unless excused. Absentees can- 
not vote afterward without permission from the 
assembly. 

If the members are equally divided on any 
question, the presiding officer is generally al- 
lowed to give the casting vote. This rule, 
however, does not apply in Annual or Quarterly 
Conferences. 

If a quorum is not present on a count vote 
there can be no decision. 

A motion to reconsider can only be made by 
a member who voted in the majority. 

Such a motion adopted places the question 
just where it was before it was decided, and 
leaves it open for discussion, amendment, adop- 
tion, or rejection. These rules have been com- 
piled chiefly from Cushing's Manual, and Baker 
on the Discipline. 



168 Helps to Official Members. 



CHAPTER X. 

OF TEMPERANCE FORMULAS WITH INSTRUC- 
TIONS RELATING TO MAKING WILLS. 

TEMPERANCE has occupied a prominent 
place in the legislation of our Church from 
the beginning. As early as 1780 the Conference 
forbade the distillation of grain into spirituous 
liquors. Three years after it prohibited the sale 
and use of such liquors as a beverage, andTias 
never receded from the prohibitory position then 
assumed. When the present reform commenced 
about the year 1828, our Church was ready for 
action and took a bold stand. She is still in the 
conflict, aiding in forming temperance societies, 
circulating the pledge, etc., and will never* 
cease her efforts, it is to be hoped, until the 
sale and use of intoxicating liquors shall come 
to a perpetual end. To aid our young men in 
this noble work we present the following 

Form or Constitution for Local or Church Tem- 
perance Societies. 

Article I.— Name. 

This association shall be called the Tem- 

perance Society. 



Of Formulas. 169 

Article II. — Object. 

Its object shall be to promote the cause of total absti- 
nence from the manufacture, sale, and use of intoxicat- 
ing drinks ; to take measures to present the pledge to 
every man, woman, and child over ten years of age for 
signature ; circulate a temperance literature ; and all 
other measures calculated to remove the evils of intem- 
perance from our land. 

Article III. — Pledge. 

The pledge of the society shall be as follows : — 
" We, the undersigned, do agree that we will not use 
intoxicating liquors as a beverage, nor traffic in them ; 
that we will not provide them as an article of entertain- 
ment, or for persons in our employment ; and that in all 
suitable ways we will discountenance their use through- 
out the community." 

Article IV. — Officers. 

The officers of this association shall be a president, 
two vice-presidents, secretary, a treasurer, and an execu- 
tive committee of five, who shall be elected annually, and 
their duties shall be the same as those performed by 
these officers in similar associations. 

Article V. — Meetings. 

Public meetings shall be held monthly ; and the an- 
nual meetings at such time and place as shall be fixed 
by the executive committee. 

The pledge may be copied and circulated for 
individual signatures. If it is stronger than 
some are willing to take, the following may be 



170 Helps to Official Members. 

used, which is also published by the National 
Temperance Society on a beautiful card, to wit : 

" I hereby solemnly promise to abstain from 
the use of all intoxicating liquors as a beverage." 

The subject is worthy of our most prayerful 
attention. Intemperance is the worst of evils — 
the roaring lion, which devours more than war 
or pestilence. Still it may be subdued. Let 
no one be discouraged. There have been great 
improvements in forty years. Every little ef- 
fort in the right direction helps. The masses 
will come to their senses some day and prohibit 
the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks, as 
they do theft and murder now. In the mean 
time we can save some from utter ruin. 

OF WILLS. 

1. If you are a man of means make your 
will, disposing of your property as you would 
like to have it distributed if you were going to 
die to-morrow. Write it yourself, if you please, 
but see that you have it properly executed accord- 
ing to the laws of your own State. It will save 
your heirs much trouble and expense, and, per- 
haps, many unpleasant heart-burnings. If you 
die without a will, your property will be divided 
among your heirs according to law. Not one 
dollar of it can be appropriated to benevolence, 



Of Formulas. 171 

whatever may have been your purposes or de- 
sires in the premises. You should do it at 
once, as you are liable to die suddenly, and as, 
in many of the States, a will is not valid, so far 
as benevolent institutions are concerned, unless 
executed a full year previous to the death of the 
testator. Forty thousand dollars have lately 
been lost to Christianity because a will was not 
made a few weeks sooner. You can alter your 
will at any future time by codicil, or annul it by 
executing anew one, or without doing so, at your 
own pleasure. Some people have made a dozen 
wills or more within the last forty years, as their 
circumstances and wishes have changed. The 
death or enrichment of a legatee, or the birth 
or misfortune of a child, will naturally require 
some modification, or a complete reconstruction. 
2. Advise your friends to do the same, invit- 
ing their attention to the various benevolent en- 
terprises of the Church, especially if they have 
no dependent relatives whom they care to 
endow. Methodism has gathered persons of all 
nations and tribes, and taught them to be in- 
dustrious, enterprising, and economical. Many 
of her poor, lone children have become wealthy, 
and know no relatives so dear to them as 
the cause of God, to which they are indebted 
for all they have and are. By speaking a kind 



172 Helps to Official Members. 

word to them, you may secure legacies that will 
greatly help that cause when they are forever 
gone. 

3. But in making a will great care should be 
taken to give the proper name of the legatee, 
whether a person or association, as well as in 
the execution of the instrument. Many wills 
have been utterly defeated by mistakes at these 
points. The corporate names of our leading 
benevolent institutions are as follow : — 

The Missionary Society of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, incorporated by the Legisla- 
ture of the State of New York. 

The Sunday-School Union of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, incorporated by the Legisla- 
ture of the State of New York. 

The Tract Society of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, incorporated by the Legislature of 
the State of New York. 

The Board of Church Extension of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, incorporated by the 
Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania. 

The Freedmen's Aid Society of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, incorporated by the 
Legislature of the State of Ohio. 

The Board of Education of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, incorporated by the Legisla- 
ture of the State of New York. 



Of Formulas. 173 

The Board of Trustees of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, incorporated by the Legislature 
of the State of Ohio. 

There are also many local societies and cor- 
porations connected with the several Annual 
Conferences which are entitled to considera- 
tion. It is highly important to ascertain whether 
they are authorized to receive legacies, as some 
are not. Our Church lost large sums of money 
on this ground before it and its institutions be- 
came properly incorporated. 

4. The following facts may be useful to you 
in this connection : — 

1. All wills must be made in writing, and be 
signed by the testator's full name at the end. 

2. They should be attested by three witnesses, 
though some of the States only require two, 
and one, none The witnesses should al- 
ways write their places of residence against their 
names. 

3. Marriage, and the birth of a child after the 
execution of a will, revoke it, unless the wife and 
child are provided for in some way. 

The will of a single woman is canceled by 
her marriage, except when she makes an ar- 
rangement before marriage to retain her right 
to make a will after marriage. This should not 
be forgotten in contemplating marriage. 



174 Helps to Official Members. 

5. The sale of, or an agreement to sell, prop- 
erty devised in a will revokes such will 

6. If any provision made in a will for the 
wife of the testator is intended to exclude her 
right of dower it should be so stated, otherwise 
she may claim dower also. 

7. A devise to a subscribing witness is void, 
though it does not invalidate the will in other 
respects. 

8. Bequests to aliens, or corporations not au- 
thorized by law to receive or hold property, are 
void. 

9. For the convenience of the reader we pre- 
sent the following form, which should be mod- 
ified to accommodate any special law of the State 
where the devisee may reside : — 

GENERAL FORM OF DISPOSING OF BOTH REAL 
AND PERSONAL ESTATE. 

In the name of God, Amen. I, A. B., of 
, being of good bodily health, and of 



sound mind and memory, knowing the uncer- 
tainty of human life, and being desirous of di- 
recting how my worldly affairs should be ad- 
justed after my decease, do make and publish 
this my last will and testament, hereby revok- 
ing and making null and void all other wills 
and testaments by me heretofore made. And 



Of Formulas. 175 

first I commend my soul to Him who gave it, 
and my body to the earth, to be buried with 
moderate expense, and without display, (or 
otherwise.) 

And as^to my worldly estate and all the prop- 
erty, real, personal, or mixed, of which I shall 
die seized or possessed, or to which I shall be 
entitled at the time of my decease, I devise and 
bequeath and dispose of in the manner following, 
to wit : — 

First. My will is, that all my just debts and 
funeral charges shall, by my executors herein- 
after named, be paid out of my estate as soon 
after my decease as shall be found by them con- 
venient. 

Second. I give, devise, and bequeath to my 
beloved wife, C. D., all my household furniture> 
library, houses, (or whatever else,) and also five 
thousand dollars in money, to be paid to her by my 

executors within months after my decease ; 

to have and to hold the same to her, and her 
executors, administrators, and assigns forever, 
(or otherwise,) all of which is in place of dower. 

Third. I give and bequeath to my honored 
mother, (state what.) 

Fourth. I give and bequeath to my son, D. E., 
(state what and how much.) 

Fifth. I give and bequeath to the Missionary 



176 Helps to Official Members. 

Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in- 
corporated by the Legislature of the State of 
New York, (state how much, and when and 
how to be paid.) 

Sixth, All the rest and residue of my estate, 
real, personal, or mixed, of which I shall die 
seized and possessed, or to which I shall be en- 
titled at the time of my decease, I give, devise, 
and bequeath to be equally (or otherwise) di- 
vided to and among my children, C. D., etc. 

Lastly, I do nominate and appoint to be 

the executors of this my last will and testament. 

In testimony whereof I, the said A. B., have 

to this my last will and testament, contained on 

one sheet of paper, subscribed my name and 

affixed my seal this day of in the year 

of our Lord one thousand eight hundred, etc. 

A. B. [l. s.] 
The above instrument, consisting of (state 
the number of sheets) was now here subscribed 
by A. B., the testator, in the presence of each of 
us, and was at the same time declared by him 
to be his last will and testament ; and we, at 
his request, sign our names thereto as attesting 
witnesses. 

D. F., residing at in * county. 

G. H.j residing at in county. 

I. J., residing at in county. 



Of Formulas. I yy 

If the witnesses do not see the testator sub- 
scribe the will, the following form of attestation 
should be used : — 

The above instrument of one sheet (or other- 
wise) was, at the date thereof, declared to us by 
the testator, A. B., to be his last will and testa- 
ment, and he then acknowledged to each of us 
that he had subscribed the same ; and we, at 
his request, sign our names hereto as attesting 
witnesses. (Sign and give residence, as in the 
will itself,) 

CODICIL TO A WILL. 

Whereas I, A. B., of, etc., have made my last 

will and testament bearing date of -, and 

have thereby, etc. Now I do by this my writ- 
ing, which I hereby declare to be a codicil to 
my said will, to be taken as a part thereof, [will 
and direct, etc.,] give and bequeath to my wife, 
C. D., (state what, whether more or less.) I do 
hereby declare that my will is that only the sum 

of be paid to , and I do declare that 

Society, which was not mentioned in my 

said will, shall receive dollars, to be used by 

said Society, (state how.) And, lastly, it is my 
desire that this my present codicil be annexed 
to, and made a part of, my last will and testa- 
ment to all intents and purposes. 
12 



178 Helps to Official Members. 

In witness whereof I have set my hand and 
seal this day of . A. B. [l. s.] 

The codicil must be attested as such the same 
as the will itself, but not necessarily by the 
same witnesses. 

Should the testator be unable, for any reason, 
to subscribe his will, and another person does it 
for him by his direction, the said person must 
write his own name as a witness to the will 
in the presence of two other witnesses. (See 
Wells, in Every Man his own Lawyer y pp. 92- 1 04.) 

ONE FURTHER REMARK. 

Now, while we detest the practice of haunting 
the death bed of the wealthy to draw from them 
a will in the interest of an individual or an as- 
sociation, we must insist that it is the duty of 
somebody to remind them while in health and 
activity of their obligation to provide for the 
appropriation of their property, when they can 
no longer manage it themselves, in some Chris- 
tian way, and not leave it to their heirs to curse 
posterity, as many have done. There is hardly 
a large city or town that is not blocked in its 
progress by vast family estates that the posses- 
sors cannot or will not sell at reasonable rates, 
and the names of the testators and their heirs 
are a stench in the nostrils of community. Such 



Of Formulas. 1 79 

men should be reached and advised if possible, 
however godless and worldly. Though they 
may have no religion, they may not be entirely 
destitute of humanity. They should be made 
to see their opportunity to lighten the crushing 
burdens of poverty and misfortune that lie at 
their own door. 

These heavy estates are not very common in 
our Church, but we have multitudes of members 
who have the means of leaving their own near 
relatives wealthy, and yet largely supply the 
pressing wants of our denominational charities. 
Yes, there are many whom we received in their 
poverty and trained for God and usefulness, and 
who are. caressed and honored, though they do 
not give at all in proportion to their means. 
Somebody who has influence with them should 
take up the cross and invite their attention to 
this delicate subject. 

Then we have many others who* are more or 
less rich and without children or dependents, 
who with proper effort may be induced to an- 
swer their own prayers, by giving bread to our 
starving institutions at death if not before. 

It is not wealth that we plead for, but daily 
bread. Many of our interests are suffering for 
this, and might be relieved and strengthened by 
legacies that will never reach them unless se- 



180 . Helps to Official Members. 

cured by will. Many cannot or will not give 
much now, for they don't know exactly how they 
are coming out. But will they not consent to 
"pledge" something to the cause, to be paid 
when they are gone ? We think so. Let them 
be kindly advised, as well as prayed for, that 
they may live and work in the Church, by their 
money, after they are dead. 



The End. 



Published by NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

805 Broadway, New York. 

COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 

By JAMES PORTER, D.D. 

One volume. 12mo. 601 pages. $1 75. 

This is a new work, having little connection with " The Com- 
pendium of Methodism." That was chiefly devoted to our doc- 
trines, government, and prudential economy. This is purely 
historical, reaching from the beginning to the present time, and 
presenting the leading facts and fortunes of the Church in their 
actual and philosophical relations and bearings. It was written 
to accommodate that large class of Methodists who have not the 
time to read Drs. Bangs and Stevens' more elaborate histories, 
or the means to purchase them. Preachers who have not com- 
plete sets of our Benevolent Eeports, General Minutes, and Jour- 
nals, (and few have them,) will often find its numerous tables an 
excellent substitute. 

The first part is appropriately ornamented with a steel engrav- 
ing of Mr. Wesley, and the second with a similar one of Mr. 
Asbury. The whole is rendered available by a copious "Topical 
Index." How the work has been received may be inferred from 
the following extracts : — 

Every Methodist, it matters not to what branch of the Methodist family 
he belongs, should have at least a correct general knowledge of the history 
of Methodism. As the various Methodist bodies had a common origin, and 
for a long time a common history, any well-prepared history of Methodism 
must, as a matter of course, be interesting and valuable to them all. Nu- 
merous works of this kind have been published. But there was need of a 
more compendious history, coming down to the present, and presented in 
such a compass and form as to come within the reach of all. The present 
volume meets this demand. — Home Companion. 

The history of Methodism is locked in large volumes that some cannot 
buy and few will read. That this growing people may learn the trials and 
triumphs of their fathers, this volume has been written. The work it lays 
out for itself has been well done. It is interesting and pointed in style, and 
eloquent at times. The facts are grouped under taking heads, and the par- 
agraphs are not too long or the details too much dwelt upon. . . . The 
work carries the history of the Church to a later point than any other his- 
tory, reaching the noted Book Concern troubles. . . . The book is issued 
in an attractive type and form, and care has been used in reading it, with 
taste in composing and arranging the matter. This history deserves to be 
popular, not only in the Methodist Church, but among others.— Cincinnati 
Times. 

The Christian Statesman says: There is, perhaps, no person in the 
Methodist Church better qualified to accomplish the work of preparing a 
compendious history of Methodism than Dr. Porter, the author of the vol- 
ume before us. He has lived through its most important and stirring 
crises, and has always been recognized as a close observer and careful stu- 
dent of its history and policy. This new history whivh he has prepared is 
intentionally comprehensive in its scope, and available to all. We commend 
it particularly to all young people, as being well calculated to inspire them 
with zeal for the Church and love for the great cause of Christianity. 



Published by NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

805 Broadway, New York. 

Dr. Porter, says Dr. Went worth, is a well-known author and authority 
in Methodist history and polity. The first part embraces British Method- 
ism in 248 pages;" the second part contains over 350 pages, and brings 
American Methodism down to the present time. Bangs's History is too 
old, and Stevens's too bulky for general circulation, so Dr. Porter steps in 
and supplies the want with a volume of moderate size, which will be cheap 
at $2, yet is offered to the public at $1 75, in consideration of a confident 
expectation of a large demand. Dr. Porter was prominent in the early 
abolition movements of New England ; participated in the General Confer- 
ence of 1844 ; made a stout fight against lay delegation ; and was cognizant 
of all the facts and phases of the Book-room troubles, and gives his own 
views, in a most catholic spirit, on all those questions and usages. Dr. Por- 
ter has succeeded in introducing a most excellent volume. It ought to be 
in every library in the land. — Christian Standard and Home Journal. 

Rev. J. L. Peck says: The book covers more ground than any other 
book of its size relating to Methodism. It gives the facts and philosophy 
of its development down to the present time. . . . The volume contains a 
large number of statistical tables, by which the facts of the growth of the 
Church in all her departments are of easy access. We advise each preacher 
and speaker to secure this treasury of statistics. By its aid you can save 
a vast amount of time and labor. 

The Congregationallst says: Dr. Porter's "Comprehensive History of 
Methodism, 11 in a single 12mo volume of 601 pages, is an extremely con- 
venient, and. will be an undeniably useful, one. The story is told for the 
old country as well as our own, with clear compactness. It is modestly 
styled by the editor "a convenient manual for facts and dates; 15 but it is 
more than this, in that it not onty has friendly answers f< >r the frequent 
questions which almost any student has occasion to ask in regard to a de- 
nomination of Christians which rightly holds so large and useful a place in 
the Christian history of the times, but that it can "give a very fair idea of 
the spirit which pervades and animates th.2 Methodist body. We wish we 
had so good an equivalent volume upon Congregationalism. 

Dr. Fuller, of the Atlanta Christian Advocate, says: Dr. Porter has 
the happy faculty of condensation. But few writers are able to crowd so 
much matter so satisfactorily into the same space as he. Here we have, in 
a 12mo volume of 601 pages, a history of Methodism in Europe and Amer- 
ica, from its rise to the General Conference of 1876. But few would 
have ventured upon the task of performing such a work, and still less the 
number who would have succeeded as well as Dr. Porter has done. The 
amount of matter crowded into its pages is surprising, and though brevity 
is necessarily studied at every point, it is not a mere dictionary of dates or 
historic fragments, but connected, readable, entertaining history. 

Dr. Porter is the first to attempt to write the history of Methodism in 
the dark days of 1844-48, including the abolition controversy in the Church ; 
and, for the space occupied, he has done well, giving the clearest and most 
correct view of those times with which we are acquainted. It is worthy of the 
Church, and especially adapted to our southern field. Our people will find 
in this volume much to aid them in forming a correct opinion of the contro- 
versies between the North and the South upon slavery and kindred topics. 

The Pittsburgh Commercial kindly avows: This handsome volume is 
appropriately named "A Comprehensive History of M -thodism, 11 as it gives 
in a compact manner information to the general reader which no other 
work of this character contains. Dr. Porter has the elements of character 
eminently to fit him for this work. The w >rk is concise, synoptical, statis- 
tical, and racy. It is worthy of a place in any library, and people of all de- 
nominations will find valuable statistical tables, etc., suitable for all classes. 



Published by NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

805 Broadway, New York. 

THE CHART OF LIFE: 

Indicating the Dangers and Securities connected with the 
Voyage to Immortality. 

16mo. 259 pages. Price, $1. By James Porter, D.D. With 
an Introduction by Eev. Edward Otheman, A.M. 

This work has been before the public for some time, and is now 
in its twelfth edition, though seldom advertised. Probably few 
ministers, comparatively, know of its existence. But some soon 
became acquainted with its character and adaptation, and have 
not ceased to introduce it to their people. The nature and bear- 
ing of it may be inferred from the titles of the several chapters, 
which are as follows : — 

Influence of Correct Principles. 

Danger from Skepticism. 

Our Susceptibilities and the Moral Forces of the Gospel. 

Necessary Precautions. 

Social Hinderances. 

The Great Concern. 

Social Kelations. 

Influence Neutralized. 

Christian Activity Directed. 

The Duty of Benevolence. 

Obligations of the Few. 

This work should go into the hands of every young man espe- 
cially. It embodies fundamental principles, and puts them in a 
manner to make them impressive. It is a capital gift book where 
usefulness is contemplated. No Sabbath-school should be with- 
out a copy. 

■#•♦>■ 

REVIVALS OF RELIGION. 

12mo. 269 pages. Tenth thousand. By James Porter, D.D. 

This is the only work on our list that assumes to give the 
" Theory, Means, Obstructions, Uses, and Importance of Re- 
vivals." It has done much good} and should be in the hands 
of every member of the Church. 



Published by NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

805 Broadway, IVew York. 

THE REVISED COMPENDIUM OF METHODISM. 

One vol. 12mo. 506 pages. $1 75. By James Porter, D.D. 

The original work was issued in 1851, and passed through 
many editions. It was wholly or partially translated into several 
different languages, and indorsed by the highest authorities of 
the Church, being honored with a place in the course of study for 
young preachers. Old Dr. Bond said he would be willing that 
Methodism should be judged by it. 

Owing to the rapid progress of the Church in the different de- 
partments of her work, and some modification in our government 
and prudential arrangements, (not in our doctrines,) the work 
required revision, which has lately been executed by the author, 
so as to improve upon its original excellence, and adapt it to the 
present time and circumstances. Its rank as a representative 
book is fairly indicated by the following notices : — 

"The Compendium of Methodism," by James Porter, D.D. This work 
has taken a new lease of life, and is going- forth, with its recent revision by 
the author, to tell the wonderful story of the greatest religious work of the 
nineteenth century. It has lost nothing of its fidelity to the cause it 
represents. — Christian Statesman. 

It is not a criticism on Methodist usages, but a statement and defense of 
them. — Quarterly Review. 

Though it is written from the stand-point of the Northern M. E. Church, 
yet, muPttifi mutandis, it suits well for Ecumenical Methodism. — Nash- 
ville Christian Advocate. 

It is, in fact, a digest of Methodism. The arrangement and execution of 
the several parts is admirable. The style is a model of perspicuity, ease, 
and vigor ; and, in point of condensation, the volume is literally crowded 
with important matter. — Northern Advocate. 

It is precisely the volume needed to instruct our people in the peculiari- 
ties of our system. We commend it as an acknowledged authority. — 
A. Stevens, LL.D. 

I have just finished the reading of this book, and I wish to express my 
decided approbation of it. It should be a family book, a Sunday-school 
book, and I would add especially, a text-book fob all candidates fob 

THE MINISTRY. — J. T. Peck, D.D. 

We have examined the book, and most cordially recommend our friends, 
one and all, to proctjbe it immediately. No Methodist can study it 
without profit, and gratitude to the great head of the Church. — Christlm 
Guardinn, Toronto. 

It has brought hundreds of unsettled converts to Methodism. 
Let it be read, and pushed out among the people. It should be 
worked into every library as far as possible. Methodism needs 
to be better understood. 



Published by NELSON & PHILLIPS, 

805 Broadway, IVew York. 

THE WINNING WORKER; 

Or, The Possibilities, Duty, and Methods of Doing Good to Men. 

With a striking frontispiece, representing complete conse- 
cration to God and his service. 16mo. 300 pages. By 
Kev. James Porter, D.D., with an Introduction by Eev. Dr. 
J. A. M. Chapman, of St. Paul's M. E. Church, New York. 

This taking work has been out but a few months, and is in its 
second edition. It assumes that every body can do good of some 
sort, somewhere, and every day ; and shows how, and why, in 
eighteen chapters of direct, pointed, practical instructions. It 
abounds " in pertinent illustrations, seasonable advice, and fruit- 
ful suggestions." It is not a book on revivals, but every-day xoork 
in Church and out, covering all our social relations and possible 
activities. 

" For many a day it has not been our privilege to read a book 
that is so full of the spirit of Christianity. . . . We commend it 
to every Christian Worker." — Rev. H. 0. Farrar. 

Eev. Mr. Davies, the evangelist, says : " The last chapter, 
headed ' Doing good a means of grace,' is worth the cost of 
the book." Benevolent gentlemen purchase to distribute among 
young people for the good it will do them. It is just the book to 
arouse an idle Church to activity. 

Eev. George Whitaker, Presiding Elder in the New England 
Conference, says : " I am very much pleased with the book. It 
is rich and practical, and presented in the doctor's happiest 
style. It should be in the hands of all our members. I do not 
see how it can help doing a great deal of good." 

The Provincial Wesleyan says : The scope and design of the 
work may be seen from some of the topics discussed, among 
which are: "The proper mission life;" "The possibilities of 
usefulness;" "Importance of right aims;" "A mind for the 
work;" " Eeligion demonstrable by experience ;" " Power with 
God and with men;" "Pleasing men for their good;" "The 
power of self-sacrifice ;" " Courage and independence ;" "Sources 
of weakness and defeat ;" "Doing good a means of grace." These 
and kindred themes are treated with great clearness and force, 
and constitute a very convenient and valuable hand-book for 
every pastor and Christian worker, and may be read with ^reat 
profit by all who desire to understand the design and aim ot the 
Christian life. 



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